


Transmissions (Dustin Bates)

by MGGProductions



Series: The Starset Series [1]
Category: STARSET (Band)
Genre: Breaking Benjamin is in the second book, F/M, I promise, Transmissions Album, starset
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 13:26:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 24,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18639013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MGGProductions/pseuds/MGGProductions
Summary: "You know what, Bates? Fuck you."Engineers and Astro-fighters are supposed to be partners, not enemies.Dustin Bates is an engineer on Alexi, in charge of a group of Astro-fighters.Shaylee Diaz is the leader of Alexi's strongest group of Astro-fighters, the special operations squad, 5501 or HALOS. After their primary engineer dies, they have to find somebody to replace her. What are the odds that this spitfire leader and the introverted engineer are stuck together?What are the odds both of them get out alive?-Based on the album Transmissions by Starset-Some similar themes to, but not related to The Starset Society Narrative





	1. First Light

"What if you had the power to effect monumental change? Would you let fear consume you? Or would you overcome?" The lights on the video flickered. The voice continued to speak, going on about the importance of using that power, and how it was inevitable that change must come. That we are the ones to bring it.

This was the yearly seminar for the engineers of Alexi, our planet. After Earth collapsed, humans dispersed throughout the galaxy. Though we were separated by lightyears, we still had war. That's why we were so important. The Astro-Fighters and the Engineers, more important than politics, celebrities, or whoever else. We were placed on top priority. I didn't want to be an engineer just because it seemed like the best option, but because it seemed the coolest.

The first time I ever met an Engineer was when I was six years old. It was Doctor Lady Thomson, the most famous Engineer to have lived. She was in charge of the special operations team. She designed everything for them and planned everything. She was incredible. She told me to reach for the stars, that she hoped to see me again someday. She even remembered me when I was seventeen and I started learning to become an Engineer. She always was so kind.

This year, Dr. Thomson was the keynote speaker at the seminar. We all were eagerly awaiting her to walk onto the stage. Soon, the video ended and she appeared. The short, gray-haired woman walked onto the stage, heels clicking against the floor as she walked out, waving with a large smile on her face.

"Good morning, everyone!" She continued to grin and wave. She was a fit woman for her age, almost seventy years old.

Behind her stood her four Astro-Fighters, the special ops squad, team number 5501, code-named Halos: Captain Shaylee Diaz, Cadets Ron DeChant, Brock Richards, and Adam Gilbert. They were as legendary as Dr. Thomson. They were the youngest special ops squad. Then, there was the Captain. She was a legend by herself- the first female captain of the special ops squad. She was incredibly strong and talented in her field. I just hadn't heard that she was too friendly to outsiders.

I listened intently to her speech. She got about halfway through her speech when she started coughing. Immediately, Captain Shaylee was by her side, offering her water and support. Dr. Thomson shoed her away after taking a drink of water. The captain went back to her position by Cadet DeChant while the Doctor kept talking.

A few moments later, the woman started coughing again. This time, she accepted the support of her Astro-fighters, even taking a seat during the demonstration they had prepared. I watched DeChant and Diaz go against each other in combat with the technology most teams used, and then they switched to the newly designed tech by Doctor Thomson. The pair dueled, sparks flying as the tech met in a ray of blues and purples. It was breathtaking to watch them fight and watch how they mastered the technology provided to them by their Engineer.

Once Captain Diaz had Cadet DeChant at her weapon's point, they stopped, applause congratulating her victory. The pair bowed, smiling at one another. DeChant put his arm around his captain as they walked back to their positions. Doctor Thomson got up from her chair, continuing to cough. DeChant kept his arm around the captain to keep her from going to the other woman. The doctor kept her coughing under control until she walked off stage after her speech was over. It was the lunch session.

I filed out with the rest of my peers to the cafeteria where lunch was provided for us. I could see the Astro-fighters standing close to their Engineer as she greeted other Engineers. I decided to go and speak with the woman as well. I waited in the long line to get to the front, watching the woman interact with others and her disinterested Astro-fighters. The captain picked her nails and rested her weight on one foot, her black jacket with the organization logo on it, along with the squad number's sleeves rolled up past her wrists. Her comrades were in a similar state Richards and DeChant carrying on a conversation while Gilbert stood tapping out some beat on his thighs.

I had only dealt with a few Astro-fighters, though I knew that they were not big into the science that helped them fight threats. I figured the four of them were bored out of their minds. Soon enough, I reached the front. The captain met my eyes, scanning me over as if she was looking to see if I was a threat or not. Dr. Thomson, however, greeted me warmly.

"Hello! Dustin, right?" She remembered me. She really did.

"Yes, ma'am," I confirmed, shaking her hand. She smiled.

"Of course, how could I forget such a handsome young man. Shay, have you met Dustin?" The doctor turned to the Captain, getting the young lady's attention. She looked up and scoffed.

"Yeah, right, Thomson." She told the woman, a soft smile on her face before she went back to her nails.

"Are you still teaching at the university?" Thomson asked. I nodded.

"Yes, ma'am. I also got my Ph.D. recently as well." She gasped at me.

"That is lovely, Dustin! Maybe now you'll finally look into joining the fight and getting your own team of Astro-fighters." She laughed lightly, nudging me.

"We'll have to see, Dr. Thomson." I smiled at her. She started coughing again, but this time, it did not stop. Captain Diaz was beside her in a second, helping the woman sit down.

"Come on, Thomson," she grumbled, placing a hand on her back. She glared at me. "What did you do?" She growled, the boys of her team surrounding me. DeChant secured my hands behind my back, the other two still holding me back by my shoulders. Thomson put a hand on the Captain's shoulder, shaking her head.

"Let him go." She managed to cough out. Diaz snapped and DeChant let my hands go, but Richards and Gilbert still held me back.

"We're getting you to the hospital," Diaz's voice was soft as she spoke to the woman. "Ron, get help." DeChant listened to her orders and ran out of the room. Seconds later, medics ran in with a gurney. They lifted the doctor up and took her out of the room, her Astro-fighters staying back. Captain Diaz watched as the medics took her Engineer before spinning on her heel to face me.

The captain was around five foot seven, with black hair in loose curls around her shoulders, striking, angry blue eyes, and tanned skin, showing her ancestry from Earth's Egypt: a once-prominent country. The blue eyes must have come from a different part of her earth heritage. She was a beautiful woman. It was still a wonder to me why she didn't have a man, though, even after being around her for a few minutes, you could see it was by choice.

"What did you do?" She demanded once more, grabbing me by my black tie with such aggression that my tie clip flew off.

"I-I didn't do anything!" She wrapped the tie around her hand more to bring me down to her height. "I didn't! You have to believe me!" Cadet Ron DeChant was my savior. He gently put a hand on her shoulder.

"Shay, you knew she wasn't good. It wasn't Dr. Bates' fault. Let him go. We need to get to the hospital." He was gentle with her. She growled and pushed me back, the two men releasing me and letting me fall to the floor. I watched the four of them walk out of the cafeteria.

Two days later, we all received word that Doctor Lady Thomson had passed away in the hospital, her Astro-fighters devastated. There was talk of her funeral, and there was even more talk about what would happen to her special ops team.

Everything was up in the air, and nobody knew which way was up. The world's most legendary Engineer was dead.


	2. Down With the Fallen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The World's most Legendary Engineer is dead. That's right. Dead. No one knows who will be the next engineer of team 5501 at her funeral. Dustin comes face-to-face with Captain Shaylee Diaz once again.

The day of the funeral, it was open to all. At the casket stood her Astro-fighters. The three boys in suits, and the Captain in a short, black, fitted dress. They all wore black armbands with the 5501 number on them, typical of a team after an Astro-fighter or Engineer dies. People sat around in chairs, waiting for the funeral to begin. DeChant walked over, letting Diaz take his arm and lead her over to one of the four chairs in the front row.

Thomson never had any family. She was married to her job and she treated her Astro-fighters like family. I had only heard rumors, though. I watched as the priest got up to lead the funeral. Everyone knew that religion was rare among Engineers, but Thomson always held to it firmly. She even attempted to instill it in her young team, but it was not to my knowledge that they had ever followed.

The funeral was nice, each of her team getting up to say a few words. I noticed how they all called each other by their first names but called the Doctor by only her last. They were all very informal. Normal teams created bonds but kept it all business. I had a feeling that this team was not just a surface show.

After we were finished at the funeral home, we were all lead out to the cemetery where we all watched the casket be carried out by the team, and then placed close to the large hole in the ground where the woman would be buried. The cemetery people slowly lowered the body into the whole. The team threw handfuls of dirt into the grave before the funeral officially let out. People stayed back to talk among themselves and say something to the team before leaving. I decided to say something to the team, even after their aggressiveness toward me. It wasn't like I could blame them.

When I approached them, I noticed DeChant's arm around Diaz's waist, holding her tightly. When she saw me, she scoffed.

"I see you've switched to a bowtie today. Afraid after the other day?" She asked, leaning into her comrade.

"Actually, I did choose it with you in mind," I admitted, scratching the back of my neck. She scoffed.

"How sweet." DeChant laughed at her comment, as the other two snickered at it. I turned red.

"Um, okay. Well, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for your loss. Doctor Thomson was an amazing woman. She never forgot me. Truly someone one of a kind. I hope that your next Engineer is just as good as her." I nodded to them before turning and going to leave.

"Bates," Diaz called. I turned around, raising my eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"Nobody ever could be as good as her."

 

That evening, I entered one of the small bars in the vicinity close to the cemetery. I just wanted a way to try to forget the emotional day I had seen. Ironically enough, I think the men of the team showed more emotion than Captain Diaz. She was considerably quiet and stoic from her reputation. I sat down at the bar, ordering just a beer. A moment later, somebody else sat down next to me.

"Half vodka. Half lemonade. It had better be pink." I turned to my right to see the Captain sitting next to me.

She looked out of the corner of her eye to see me. She looked forward and then swiped the air over her watch, her phone coming into existence. She ignored me, only speaking to the bartender after her brought her her drink. She sipped the concoction through a straw, still scrolling through her social media feed. She sighed, swiping the air again to get it to go away.

"Do you have a staring problem, Bates?" She demanded, turning on the barstool to me. I shook my head, looking down at the glass of beer in my hands. On Alexi, we didn't use much plastic, especially not for things such as bottles or bags. She sighed, placing her hand under my chin. She forced me to look at her, her blue eyes piercing my brown ones. "Then why do you keep staring at me?" I fumbled for words of any sorts.

"I-I just, I don't know. I'm almost surprised." I admitted. She scoffed, letting go of me.

"You don't wear a tie in hopes I won't grab you, I still manage to." I turned red at her words. I was starting to notice this pattern with her. She had the ability to do that. "Ya know, I've been thinking about what you said, about getting a new Engineer assigned to the Special Ops team. Nobody could ever truly take the place of Thomson. She was like a mother to me."

"That's right. Rumor had it that your parents both died when you were seven."

"Yes. I went to the academy at age eight to become an Astro-fighter. I wanted to do something with my life that would ensure nobody else's parents were killed as mine were. She saw something in me. She always described it as a fire that was bursting to get out of my body, and that's why my eyes are blue. The fire in me is so hot that it's nothing but blue flames trying to break free. I mean, she taught me how to feel again after I joined her squad. She taught me about real life, about what it means to be human. She was my mother, even if we were not blood. But, this is war. People die in war, Bates. There's no way around that." She sighed, drinking some more of her vodka and pink lemonade through the glass straw.

"I didn't know that you were all that close." I swirled around my beer.

"We were a family. We still were, but now we are just missing the head of our family." She slid the band off of her bicep and looked at it, stretching it a little. "Five, five, zero, one. My family." She threw the band onto the bar, leaning back.

"Do you have anyone you want to be the new Engineer for your team?" She shook her head.

"No. I just want Thomson back."

 

The next day, I decided to finally take Thomson's advice. I put in my application for a team. I went to teach my classes, just as I did every other day. I waited for three days before I got any response from the council on me becoming a true Engineer. They asked me to meet them at the Columbus Compound.

Upon arrival, a senator greeted me, shaking my hand and rattling on about the responsibilities that came with being an Engineer with a team. I listened with full intensity, memorizing every word he said.

"Dustin, are you certain that you want to do this? There is no going back from this life. This is war." His voice held weight and power as if this was a warning I had not heard.  
"I want to. I can do it." I wasn't sure if the words were for myself or for the senator. He nodded.

"Okay, then. This is your team's building. You may move into the Engineers quarters. Your team should be training. You will meet them later." He led me through the compound, pointing out the rooms of the team, then the kitchen they shared, living room, and the training area. Then, he led me to my bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, dining room, and workspace. Lastly, we made it to the door of the office.

"So, this is my life now?" I asked, looking around the hallway once more.

"Yessir, it is. I'm truly surprised that we haven't seen your team yet. They must be out getting groceries or something of that nature." The senator thought out loud. "Please, open the door." He gestured to the thick wooden door in front of us. I smiled, taking the handle and opening the door. Inside, four people sat around the desk, one with their legs cross in the middle of my desk, one in the chair behind the desk, and two on the couch at the end.

"Paul? What kind of middle name is Paul? Dustin Paul Bates. That's quite unfortunate. Don't you agree, Ron?" Captain Shaylee Diaz sat with my file open in front of her, looking through the pages.

"Quite," Ron said from behind her, leaned against the bookshelf with his arms crossed. The blond man stared me down, watching me.

"Dr. Bates, meet team 5501."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, what if this really is a reason Dustin wears the bowties? Someone grabbed his full tie.


	3. Halo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dustin sees the truth behind what it means to be apart of Team 5501, even if the team does not want him there.

Team 5501, Team HALO, after the countless lives they had saved, The Special Operations Team. Legends. Also, some of the strongest death glares I had ever encountered. The five of us sat around the large table in the missions room. I sat in the only vacant chair around the table: directly across from Captain Diaz. Her sapphire eyes were like ice towards me, her right leg cross over her left and her arms folded. The boys of her team followed her, sitting with their arms crossed as well, each of them glaring at me.

"So, um, hi. I'm Dustin Bates," I said, trying to break the ice. I folded my hands and placed them on the top of the table. The man with the gentle doe-like eyes looked at the other three before turning back to me.

"I'm Cadet Brock Richards. It's nice to meet you." The Captain rolled her eyes at him before going back to watching her foot tap against the air. The bearded one looked over to me.

"Cadet Adam Gilbert, welcome to the team." He seemed friendly enough, smiling at me as he spoke. The blonde sighed.

"I'm Cadet Ron DeChant, Captain Diaz's second-in-command." Everyone knew that there was someone to take over the team if a Captain were to be killed in battle, however, only the team itself and the Engineer ever knew who it was. It was the secret; a way to ensure someone would always be in command. Him telling me he was second-in-command was his way of saying welcome to the team, I guess.

Then, there was Captain Diaz. She straightened her posture, setting both feet on the floor before fixing her black jacket. She folded her hands on the desk and stared me down. Once again, those blue eyes penetrating my soul. Her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail today, the light curl still cascading through it.

"Look, Bates. This is how it's going to go. You make stuff for us and stay the fuck out of our way. Got it? I'm Captain Shaylee Diaz. Captain Diaz or Captain will do." Cold. That was the only word to describe both her words and my frozen state after them. I didn't move a muscle as she led the four others out of the room, leaving me behind. I couldn't move still. I had heard Diaz wasn't friendly to outsiders, but I had no idea she would be like this.

Eventually, I snapped out of my trance and I walked out of the room, walking past the team's rooms. I saw Ron coming out of Diaz's room, sighing.

"Hey, Bates," he called, walking to meet me half way.

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to apologize about Shay. She just hasn't been doing too well since Thomson passed. I mean, we all lose people, but she thought she would die before Thomson did. She never really prepared herself. Then, when Thomson got sick, Shay just convinced herself that she would come out of it fine."

"Oh, wow. I-I mean, I just didn't really think much of it. I had heard that Diaz wasn't friendly to outsiders. You didn't really have to apologize for her. I understand, though."

"Okay, I also wanted to let you know that the rest of the team doesn't share her sentiments," he paused. "Well, I mean, sorta. We all miss Doc Thomson a lot, but we are glad you're here. She always spoke highly of you from when she visited the academy, and then she did put in her final word that the council opened that she wanted you to take over her position if she were to pass."

My eyes widened. I knew the doctor always enjoyed seeing me when she came to speak at the university, but I didn't know she liked me that much. Shaylee had said that Thomson said she saw a fire in her, and she was certainly correct about the cold blue fire in her. Who's to say that Thomson didn't see something in me as well?

"I didn't know. Wow," I breathed, still surprised. The disappointment of Captain Diaz's behavior towards me had dissipated at this revelation.

"Yeah, she even tried to get Diaz to go out with you a few times. Diaz always said she was too busy for a boyfriend. That's a genuine lie."

"Yeah, it seems like you two are really happy together." I went for it. I went for the assumption. And I got laughed at.

"N-no," Ron wheezed, doubling over. He eventually got himself together, straightening up. "No, Shay and I are not together. She just has a lot of time on her hands so she throws knives at her wall. It's seriously a mess. You should see some time. It's unfortunate and annoying." He started to laugh again. Then, Diaz's door slid open.

"Mission room. Now. We're needed." She spoke with authority and certainty, nodding to Ron before walking towards the room.

"And here we go. You ready, Bates?" He nudged my shoulder and started following his Captain.

"Dustin," I called after him. He stopped, turning to smile at me.

"Well, Dustin. Hurry your ass up."

We all made it to the mission room, standing around the table. The holograph of one of the Senators came up in the middle of the table.

"Team 5501, an enemy ship is close to our orbit. Go and meet it. Be prepared for hostility. If it is hostile, call in for backup. We will have nine other teams on standby for engagement. If it is for diplomacy, bring them onto the planet on your ship," the senator ordered. Diaz nodded.

"Yessir. Understood, sir. We stand ready." The senator nodded at her response.

"Good luck to you and your team, Captain Diaz." At that, the hologram shut off and the four of them went over to their suits. They suited up quickly before heading down to the hanger.

"So, Dustin. Your job is just to monitor the mission from the room. We all have you in our heads and we can't turn you off, so don't worry about Diaz." He filled me in on everything else as we walked down to the hanger. Adam already had made his way to the pilot's seat by the time Ron and I got there. "We got this, Bates." Ron gave me a fist-bump before boarding and putting his helmet on. I watched the ship fly out of the hanger and into the sky.

I went back into the missions room and sat in the chair I had been in all day. I watched from the holographic screen as they went about their mission. They slowed when they reached the ship.

"Making contact now." Diaz's voice came through my headset. I watched the ship approach the enemy ship, then I heard Diaz's voice again. "This is Team 5501 of the planet Alexi. We are here peacefully, however, we are prepared for combat. Identify yourself or be shot out of this universe." Taunting the enemy. Great going, Diaz. I heard the radio crackle. Nothing. "One last chan-" The ship sped past the team's, going for the planet.

"Shit!" Adam yelled, trying to keep control from the wave sent by the other ship.

"Backup! Backup! Hostile ship entering atmosphere!" Diaz's voice yelled. "Adam! Get me close! Ron, Brock, get armed. We're going in."

"Wait!" I yelled, getting their attention. "Isn't that dangerous?" I heard a sigh.

"Just shut up and let me do my job." Diaz's sharp retort almost hurt as much as I figured the hostile would in the next ten minutes. The ship lowered to a couple of yards above the hostile ship after a steep nosedive by Adam. The airlock opened and the three fell out onto the other ship, gravity having its effects again after reentering the atmosphere. Ron cut through the shell of the ship and the three jumped in.

"We're in," Brock reported, all three of them raising their guns. They split up, causing the cameras to split again to show all four members of the team. I found myself watching as Diaz took villain after villain down. She was mesmerizing.

"Bates, do your fucking job. Are my boys okay?" Her harsh voice yanked me from my trance.

"Yeah, sorry. They're okay." I replied, fully focusing. "Backup, we are on board the enemy vessel. Do not shoot the ship down. I will give you the signal if this goes to shit. Be ready on the ground. Adam, go ahead to join the fleet. We will meet you there."

"See you there, Shay." The ship went down ahead of the enemy ship to meet them. I watched as the other three went forging paths to the control room, keeping the casualties to a minimum. I knew that if they were alive, they would suffer more. That was the way of The Council. Soon, Diaz reached the control room. She cleared it out.

"DeChant, Richards, report." She commanded, taking the helm.

"Almost there," was Brock's immediate response. It took Ron a second.

"I've run into a problem. Could use some backup."

"Brock, go give him a hand. I'll take us down." Diaz sounded so reassuring and calm. That's what made good Astro-fighters. Most wars were not fought on planets anymore, but space. That was one of the few good things that came from a single government over the entire planet. But that meant that soldiers needed to be smarter, stronger, braver, calmer. They needed to be better because they had to go through worse. They were not only soldiers but astronauts. They had to be the best.

Soon, all three of them were in the control room, the boys covering the two entrances to the control room.

"Mission accomplished. Control room secured. Stand by to make sure we cleared out the ship." She reported to the other teams. I watched her land the ship expertly, waiting for the other teams to fully make sure ship was good before Team Halo climbed out of the ship. Adoring fans stood cheering for their saviors, the four of them grinning and smiling.

"Team Halo! Team Halo! Can we get a quote?" A reporter near the scene called. Captain Diaz smiled and walked over, the other three following her.

"Absolutely. There is nothing to worry about. The threat has been neutralized, and there are still people on board who we can interrogate to find out the reason behind this near attack. But don't worry. They'll never reach the ground. We will always be here to protect you all. We won't let go." She smiled once more before walking away, shaking the hands of the fans around.

Team Halo, the light in this dark world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My new favorite thing to write- Scared/ Nervous Dustin.


	4. Carnivore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's the monster hiding under Dustin's bed?

Two days after the whole incident with the hostile vessel, I stood looking over the training area where Diaz relentlessly drilled Brock on some of the newer tech from Thomson. Diaz was tough, but she showed that she cared, being gentle after she had knocked Brock on his ass.

"Come on, Brock. You can do it. Just concentrate." Her words were encouraging. I never heard that tone directed towards me, only the other three guys. She only spoke to me when she needed to. It was almost disappointing.

I found myself staring at her more and more, though every time she caught me, she asked me if I had a staring problem before scoffing at me and walking off. I got to the point where I just stayed out of her way. I brought this up with Ron and he said that she was trying to scare me, to assert dominance over me. I knew I wouldn't be good enough to overrule her or earn her respect.

"Brock! Again! Charge me!" She ordered, standing ready.

The man sighed, ruffling his brown hair before picking up the staff, swinging it around to activate it. The potential energy surged into sonic energy, preparing itself for the strike that should have kicked Diaz back eight feet into the wall. However, when he struck, he hit her staff, catching the corner of hers so she could levy it out and send it flying out of his hands at the same time when she dug the end under his feet to send him flying. He groaned as he landed from his trip at flying.

"You aren't getting it. Charge with a plan, not with a whim." She grabbed his hand and hoisted him up.

"But if I did everything with my own plan in mind, then there goes your job, Shay," he reminded her, earning a laugh. She clapped her hand on his shoulder.

"Take five, Brock. I have to deal with something real quick." She started jogging out of the room, Brock watching her go before going to grab his metal water bottle, taking a drink. I watched him a second longer before my attention was taken. "What do you want?" I spun around to see Shaylee standing a few feet away from me.

"Oh, I, uh, I need to make sure this prototype I have works, and I think the size is too small for one of the guys, so I was hoping you would try it for me." The words just spilled out of my mouth, not allowing a single breath in as I spoke. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"And what is it that it's too small for the guys but should hopefully work for me?" She moved closer to me.

"It's armor."

"Okay. Let's go. The lab, I suppose?" I didn't even need to answer. She was already walking down the hallway. I followed her into the lab, shutting the door behind me. I walked over to the table I had been working at and grabbed the suit, bringing it over to her. I moved the heavy black material that would go under the true body armor, handing her the pieces. She went to slide the breastplate over her head, only to discover it wouldn't work.

"No, no. It's too fitted for that. Here." I gently took it from her, undoing the straps and going around behind her.

"Of course it's fitted. That's why I didn't want a male Engineer. Why is everything always so fitted with men?" She sighed. I was mildly uncomfortable and worried about putting the armor on her, seeing as she was just wearing her shorts and a black sports bra.

"It's not that. You'll see why in a second. The guy's stuff will be just as fitted. This may even be a little loose on you. I didn't have your measurements and I can't seem to find many of Thomson's notes."

"Well, that's because I have them. We cleaned out her lab and hid all of her notes until we trusted the next Engineer enough to allow them to look through them. There are things in there about the four of us that only the five of us ever knew."

"Oh," I said softly, tightening the last strap on her left side. The strap slipped out of my hands, lightly trailing her skin. "I see. Well, I hope that I can earn your trust." She nodded.

"We will have to see, now won't we, Bates?" We fixed the rest of her body armor before I stood in front of her.

"Okay, now I need something to throw at you..." I began looking around, knowing a pen could be dangerous.

"Why don't you just hit me?" She jumped up onto the one empty table, crossing her right leg over her left once more. I shook my head.

"I can't do that."

"Why? Is it cause I'm a girl?"

"No... it's because I can't fight." She froze.

"Wait, can you shoot a gun at least?"

"No. I can't really do anything. I was a teacher, I had no use." She hopped off the table, walking over to corner me against one of the other tables.

"So, what you're telling me is that you will never be able to come out in the field with us because you would be a liability?" I swallowed hard.

"Uh, I guess so," I admitted, practically trying to climb on top of the table to get away from her. She shook her head, moving away from me.

"You have got to be shitting me." She grinned. "You're just joking, right?"

"No, I'm not." She laughed.

"Oh, Bates. It's going to take you a long while to earn my trust." She walked out of the lab, me chasing after her since she still had not tested that armor. I followed her down onto the floor of the gym, watching her approach Brock. "Brock, grab the staff again. Charge me, regardless of if I have a weapon or not. Do it." He nearly choked on his water but did as she asked, grabbing the staff and circling her.

He spun the staff around before going for her legs. She flipped away from him, landing in a crouching position before she launched herself up towards him. He took his staff and hit her chest plate with the end of it. Surprising to all three of us, it worked. The sonic energy collided and sent him soaring across the gym and into the wall. She looked up at me in shock.

"Impressive, but next time, let me know what it does so I don't give one of my cadets a concussion," she said, not looking at me. She walked over and helped Brock up, helping him over to one of the benches in front of the open wooden lockers full of weapons. "You gonna be okay?" He nodded, holding his head. She started taking the armor off.

"I'll take it back and you can go make sure Brock is okay. I think he should lay down after I check on him." I started walking over to where the young man was, checking him over. She got all of it off after I checked him out, leaving it on one of the other benches.

"Come on. Let's get you to bed." The pair walked out of the room, leaving me alone.

"I need to learn how to fight. I can't have one of them getting hurt every time I want them to try something. I'm more expendable than them, after all." I mumbled, getting ready to walk out. I turned to see Ron standing against the wall.

"More expendable than us, huh? That's funny." He stared me down, accusing eyes. "I'll teach you how to fight so you can protect yourself because you are in no way more expendable. If Thomson thought you were good, you must be. I'm not going to let you die, but I'm not going to let you slow us down. So, I'm going to teach you to be good."

"A-are you sure Diaz will be okay with that?" He laughed.

"As if I really listen. And stop calling her Diaz. Call her Shaylee or Shay. You'll never call her that if you're waiting on her permission. Tomorrow, meet me here at four. Shay trains in the morning primarily then spends the afternoon doing other things after lunch. So, we work around her. Technically, as long as she doesn't know, she has no way to penalize either of us." I thought it over for a second.

"Okay. I'm in. Thank you, Ron."

"No problem, man. Now, let's get to lunch. Adam just picked up Pizza!"  
  


Three fifty-eight the next day, I walked into the gym, sliding my glasses off my face and putting them on one of the benches. I looked around at the number of weapons in the room, completely in awe knowing that most of them were created by Dr. Thomson. She was an incredible woman. I wished I had gotten to learn more from her. What was done was done, though.

"Ready to get started?" Ron walked into the room, taking off his black jacket and tossing it to the side so he was just in his white shorts and a black tank top. I looked up.

"Are you positive Shaylee won't find out about this?" I asked, eyeing the walkway that allowed people to see into the gym. He nodded confidently.

"It'd be kinda hard for her to find out today. I mean, especially considering she and Brock are out on business." He smirked at me, mischief in his eyes.

"Okay. Let's go."

"Well, first, we're going to build up some muscle, and I'm going to take away a lot of what you are. You're going to be confident, and ready to go against what Shay says. You're going to be someone new. This is a chance for you to start over, to improve yourself." He started stretching, encouraging me to follow him. "Just you wait, Dustin. This is going to be a change for you."

 

I looked around at the world surrounding me, dark and cold. 

"Come find me," a familiar voice hissed, sending me spinning, searching for the owner of the melodic voice. I heard her giggle to my left. I looked to see Diaz standing there in a dark cloak, grinning at me. Her teeth were sharper, menacing looking. Her eyes were a gray color, void of any emotion or bias. I knew that wasn't my Diaz. She was very biased. 

"Who are you?" I demanded, trying to stand my ground, but whatever creature this was in front of me in the captain's form was throwing me off. 

"Don't you recognize me? I'm the thing that has lived in your mind since you saw it years ago. What do the people call me? It's always so quiet, I can never fully hear." She stepped closer, her body saying more femininely than Diaz's militaristic walk. 

I knew what the creature was referring to, the thing I feared the most: Carnivore. They were just a rumor. Nothing more than an Alexian myth. 

"Name me." It begged, a smirked showing those fanged teeth again. 

"Carnivore," I whispered. It lunged at me, going for my throat to rip it out. 

 

I jolted awake, breathing heavily. It was a dream. She wasn't a Carnivore. It was just another dream. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya wanna know what's wild? Carnivore was originally called Carnivore, but then Epic forced Dustin to change it to Everything I Am before he changed it back to Carnivore for Starset.


	5. Telescope (Part One)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaylee observes that Dustin's changing. To say the least, she is not pleased in the recent developments.

_Four Months Later_

The team walked in from another mission, laughing. Ron had his arm slung around Shay's shoulders, the group laughing at something Brock had said and then Adam's reaction. They all melded together so well. The guys tried their hardest to include me as much as possible, and Shaylee had just become indifferent to my presence, or she just ignored it completely. I had taken to calling her Shay or Shaylee in reference but avoided using any true name or title when speaking to her. It worked. She never mentioned anything about it.

As for my lessons with Ron, the other two guys had started rotating in and helping out as well. Shaylee was still unaware of it- to my knowledge at least. Though she was quite naive, she was a very intelligent person. They all were. Except for Brock. He was a little bit of a ditz. But all the same, they did not fully live up to the example many other Astro-fighters before they had set.

"Good work, team." I greeted them, smiling. Shaylee frowned at me, looking closely. My smile dropped. "What? What did I do?" I looked at the other three.

"You're not wearing your glasses, you cut your hair, and you shaved." Shaylee rattled off, getting closer to me. "It's shorter on top." She observed. I moved away from her, not turning red. I had thankfully moved passed that stage.

"Yeah, that's what I did this morning. Shaved after I got my hair cut." She hummed in response, grabbing the back of my chair. She leaned closer to me, still examining me.

"I'm not a fan," she said curtly. "I personally think you look better with a little bit of stubble. But that's not the only thing. You haven't worn a shirt that fitted. You've gained muscle. Since when do you work out?" Damn her.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I looked past her curled black hair and sapphire blue eyes to Ron, practically screaming for help. He just looked defeated. He knew this was where we were found out.

"No. You do. This shirt is a size smaller than your others. You've thinned out and gotten broader, however, your legs haven't. You've been working out. Then, you just looked past me. You're lying to me. Just tell me the truth, Bates." Her stare was too intense. I broke.

"Fine! You got me! The guys, primarily Ron, have been training me so I won't be a liability!" She pushed herself back so she wasn't as close to me as she had been. She turned to the other three.

"Boys, is this true?" She asked. Ron sighed, nodding.

"Yeah, it was my idea. I take full responsibility." He took a step towards her, almost like he was showing he wasn't afraid of her.

"Hm," she hummed before she started pacing. She seemed surprisingly calm. I was terrified. I hadn't seen her truly angry. I fear this was when I was going to. "Is he any good?" She asked, looking at the other men as she paced. Ron's eyes widened.

"I mean, he's alright. He can take Brock down by overpowering him," Ron answered, still watching more her chest.

He had taught me that when fighting somebody in combat, their chest typically gave away their next move. As much as she tried to fight it, that one of Shay's biggest flaws in combat. I had started watching them fight closer, trying to learn. Her chest gave her away nearly every time, so she moved quickly.

"Okay, then." She breathed, turning to me. "Get changed. Gym, now." At that, she turned and left me and the other three in the mission room alone. I was stunned.

"Dude, you're so screwed," Brock said, still wide-eyed at the door. I had a feeling all four of us would be in scalding hot water if I didn't show some signs that I could fight well enough to protect myself. I quickly jogged to my room where I changed into a tank top and shorts, only to sprint down to the gym where Shaylee was stretching.

"You should stretch, too. She's quick and uses her height to her advantage. You being over six feet tall is putting you at even more of a disadvantage," Adam warned, helping Brock move one of the circular mats to the middle of the floor. I nodded, sitting down to start stretching, my eyes trained on Ron and Shay, him trying to speak to her. She simply listened, not replying. After a few minutes, she stood next to him, speaking to him softly before putting a hand on his cheek.

Ron and I spoke about her different times when I was practicing something he had taught me. He told me about her trust issues and how she had a good reason not to trust people easily. I had been on a team with her for over four months and she still didn't trust me. It was truly sad and almost a handicap on her part. If she couldn't trust other people, she would fail.

"Come on, Bates. Hurry it up, now. We don't have all day!" She called to me, walking to the center of the ring. She had stripped down to her sports bra and a pair of spandex she probably had left in her locker. I made sure I was fully stretched one last time before meeting her in the center of the ring. "Best two out of three, and I'm not holding back because the enemy won't."

"I understand."

"Good. Ron, count us off." Ron sighed, moving closer to the mat.

"Three... two... go." After the count, I had legs in my face, nearly knocking me off balance.

I made the rash decision to grab her ankle, trying to send her off balance. Instead, she kicked up, using my grip on her to give herself a distraction to kick me in the chest. I stumbled back, releasing her leg. I went on the offense, swinging towards her. She ducked under my arm, grabbing it and going down more to dig her shoulder into my hip to flip me over. I landed on my back and she spun around, putting her foot on my throat.

"And you're dead, Bates," Shay said, grabbing my hands and pulling me up to my feet. Then, there was a beeping noise. "Let's go." She grabbed her jacket and ran up the stairs to the mission room.

"Ugh, but we just got back," Brock whined, leaning against Adam.

"That's because it's our job, and we just have to be the best." Adam pointed out, moving away from Brock, leaving him off balance and almost on the floor.

"Well, Shay is going to beat us up there and then beat us literally," Ron pointed out, starting to lead the movement up to the room. As soon as the door closed behind Adam, the hologram of the senator came up, greeting us.

I glanced over at Shay who shot all of us a look. She had slipped her jacket on over her sports bra. I still had yet to receive my jacket with the 5501 number on the front. I sometimes found myself wondering why, but then I realized it was the captain's job to give me the jacket, and Shaylee still did not see me as apart of the team.

She was going against everything an Engineer and Astro-fighter captain relationship was supposed to be. It was to be a partnership, almost like a marriage. Sometimes, that did happen. However, Shay had made it clear it would take a long while for us to even be friends. She refused to cooperate with me, and left me to do things that requires two people. She didn't acknowledge that I was vital to the team.

"Team 5501, there has been a spy base found. Coordinates have been sent to your ship. Please, go discreetly. Recon has already been conducted, but we require you all to bring it down." The senator's voice yanked me from my thoughts as he spoke with the level of professionalism they all did. It was as if they all shared one mind.

"Yessir. We will see to it that the threat is eliminated." With that, the senator nodded and the hologram disappeared. Shay groaned, pulling her pants over her spandex and zipping her jacket. "Let's get some weapons, boys. Suits aren't needed for this. Switch to jackets without the patches." She ordered, starting to unzip her jacket that had been thrown over her sports bra.

"No, wait. You don't have to." I stopped her, putting up one finger. "I made something. Just, hold on one second." I turned and sprinted out of the room, thankful for the automatic sliding doors that opened at the speed you approached it at. I ran into my lab and grabbed the four small boxes, running back. I tossed one of the boxes to each.

"Bates, what is this and are they prototypes?" Adam asked, shaking the box. Brock actually opened it, saying how cool it was when he had no idea what it was.

"Chip that simulates like a shapeshifter. It changes your appearance, from physical features to clothes. It's just an illusion, though. So, people can feel if you give yourself like, two extra inches." I explained quickly, taking the chip from Brock who I was closet to and placing it on the back of his neck.

"How do we activate it?" Ron asked, also placing his on the back of his neck as I had done to Brock.

"Thought. It can essentially read your thoughts as binary code and make it work. It's pretty cool, I know." I smiled at my work. I was proud of myself. Shay hummed before shrugging it and placing it on her neck, spinning as her clothes changed to a short black skirt and black jacket like her normal one, except without the markings indicating her role as an Astro-fighter.

"Huh, not bad, Bates." Shay nodded, smirking at me. I smiled, proud of myself. I had gotten a compliment on my work at last. They all grabbed weapons, then disappearing as they hooked them on to their persons. Once they were ready, they looked at each other. "Team, let's head out."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued 
> 
> Siobhan is a good ass violinist.


	6. Telescope 2.0

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stupid Dustin! That camera doesn't work!

I sat waiting in the missions room, quietly monitoring the mission via the camera system of the city of Conroos, a quarter of the planet away. Alexi was a large planet, housing 6.7 billion people. It was a little bigger than Earth, with more fresh water than there was on the old planet. It had a slightly higher composition of oxygen than Earth did as well. It was a beautiful planet with many cities, but still so much rolling free lands. The animals were a combination of animals brought from earth, many of which we grew in test tubes, set to the wild, and they reproduced naturally, and the few animals that had inhabited the planet before us. It was a wonderful place, especially when you compared it to the shithole Earth was.

"Report," I sighed into my headset, still looking at the feed, not truly watching. I noticed they all had been quiet for a while. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary for a typical quiet mission. They would get chattier after they started inflitration, but if they were together, Shay would use hand signals primarily. I started to observe the feed closer. It had been busy the entire time, not too odd for such a large city. I turned around, looking at the clocks on the back wall, observing the times of all the large cities.

Canroos clock read seven fifty-six. Canroos gets dark at seven. In the video, it still showed it was as bright as day. The feed was on a loop and I hadn't noticed for six hours. I had fucked up. Shaylee was going to kill me. I went over to the computer, typing in a few keys, trying to get any sort of signal or get it out of the loop. A moment later, I got it. The streets were dark, and I couldn't get the camera to switch anywhere closer to the target point.

"Team! Come in! Team!" Static. Nothing. I groaned, getting up. I ran to my lab and put on some of the body armor I had made before grabbing a few more weapons and sprinting to the jump ship. I managed to get on and fly it. It only took me an hour to get there, making me more than thankful for the power of a jump ship. On the way, I reported what had happened, The Senate assuring me that they would send backup, but to be there for my team.

I kept wondering how the enemy had made it onto the planet. I figured that they snuck in in small numbers, using false identities. It seemed to have worked because they were here. They got past planet security as well as every team of Astro-fighters. With everyone still being technically human, despite some variants that had found other species to mix with, it was difficult to tell planetary citizens apart.

I arrived above the point, getting closer and landing on top of the building. I went down, taking the stairs to the basement of the building. There, I was met with team 3406, quickly showing them my identification. They nodded to me, ushering me to follow them. The four of them had their guns ready, where I just had the sonic staff Ron had taught me to use. I was lucky enough to know that my armor would be a useful weapon all the same. We silently moved, quickly searching for the team. Suddenly, we heard voices. We got closer, peaking in the archway to see my four team members waiting to be loaded onto a version of a jump ship, more built for space travel than for planetary jumps.

Each of them were in upright pods, completely unconscious. The Captain of the team 3406 nodded to us, sending us into the charge. They shot at the enemy, hitting the one protecting three of the pods, while the one who was loading the first one onto the ship managed to close the port of the ship, yelling at the pilot to forget the others and get out. The other team chased the ship, trying to get them. I ran to my team, getting the pods to open, each one of the remaining three crumpled to the floor. Brock, Adam, and Shaylee. Ron was missing. Brock and Adam slowly woke up, as where Shaylee didn't. The two of them sat up as I knelt down next to Shay, scooping her up to keep her off the floor in case we had to quickly move.

"What happened?" Adam asked, looking around as the other team came back to help the two up. He placed a hand to his head, showing there was clearly some discomfort lingering from being out so long.

"We were ambushed, Adam," Brock reminded him, holding tightly to the member of the other team that kept him from falling backward.

"We need to get you all out of here in case there are more hostiles." The captain told us, starting to move from the room. He led us out, me following directly behind him, the other two behind me, then one of the other cadets from 3406 taking up the rear. We quickly made it out and onto the jump ship I had arrived in. Brock and Adam took a seat and I set Shay down in one.

"Thank you, Captain." I nodded to the other man. He nodded back.

"My job, sir. Get them home. We'll track the ship and get Cadet DeChant back. Rest assured." With that, he turned and walked off the ship, going to his own team and ship. I shut the port and went to the pilot seat. After we got in the air, I looked at the other two men.

"What happened back there? They hacked the system and shut me out." Adam sighed, turning to me from where he sat.

"We were ambushed. We got halfway in before they surrounded us. Shay was confident we could take them, but we were still pretty tired from this morning, so we were off our game. She must have put up more of a fight because she was still fighting when I was knocked out. I don't know what happened from that point on, that was until you came with backup." He didn't have much, but it was enough. We couldn't do anything more. Ron was taken, and we were not a complete team.

I sat in the infirmary, head down on one of the beds. I sat a couple away from Shaylee, swipetech open to the information on who they were supposedly going after. She still had not woken up, and I was getting concerned. I still didn't understand why The Senate sent them into that situation after they had just gotten back. Frustrated, concerned, and confused. That was my life. I sighed and went to sit back up when I heard Shaylee groan.

"Damn, they got me good." I looked up to see her trying to sit up. I walked over, gently pushing her back down on the bed.

"Hey, lay down. You've been out for a long while." I spoke to her softly, standing above her.

"Yeah? Tough shit. Where's everybody else?" She pushed my hands away, sitting up.

"Brock and Adam are resting," I reported, sitting on the bed next to her.

"And Ron?" When I didn't give her an answer, she asked again. "Bates, where is Ron?" I still didn't answer. She got up and grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, glaring at me.

"He isn't here." I trying to not meet her gaze.

"Bates, is my best friend dead?" She growled, her grip tightening on me. I noticed her knuckles turning white.

"No, not that we know of. When we rescued you, they were trying to load you all onto a jump ship. They got Ron on the ship before we showed up. Team 3406 is tracking them." I met her eyes again. They were about to spill over with tears. Suddenly, I didn't feel afraid of her. I felt bad for her.

Shaylee Diaz was given her title at age 28, the youngest age a female had ever been given the title. I had heard that she had never been all warm and cuddly, but being in charge meant you had to toughen up. She kept her emotion hidden to most, matching with her trust issues. The one she trusted the most wasn't here. At age 34, she was alone.

I made up my mind and decided to do something that could potentially get me thrown across the room. I slowly wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer, hugging her tightly. She fought me for a second before giving in, surrendering to my hug. It wasn't like she hugged me back or cuddled up to me, but she didn't fight me. I let her go slowly.

"They will find him," I assured her. She nodded, wiping the tears off of her face.

"As for those fuckers who took him. I will find them." I looked into her eyes, traveling their depth and distance. Those blue eyes reminded me more of the night sky than the ocean. They were like the stars, bright and blazing. She was something else.

"We will find them."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, chill, I've got this. 
> 
> Also, Brock is a good ass guitar player.


	7. It Has Begun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaylee gives in, allowing Dustin in.

 

From how my morning started, I never would have imagined that I would end up on a jump ship to the planet Grotto. I glanced over at Shay, as I had been doing all morning. She was quiet, as she had been since I finally stood up to her. To say the least, this morning had been eventful. 

_I groaned, knowing today was going to be tough. Ron had been taken a week ago and no one had gone to retrieve him yet. They knew what planet he was on, but nobody was moving. The Senate was refusing to send people since they were trying to work a treaty with the Grottans. Shaylee was pissed, to say the least. She had been drilling the other two rugged and took my training on as a distraction for herself. It was relentless. My body had never felt so sore before. It made me miss Ron even more than I already did._

_I pulled myself out of bed and made my way to get ready. I finished quickly, grabbing a zip-up sweatshirt and starting to walk to the kitchen towards the team's area. I walked in to see Shay sitting at the bar, drinking straight black coffee as she did every day. She was dressed in all black, her hair curled and pulled back into a ponytail._

_"Morning," she greeted me, not looking back. I grabbed myself a cup of coffee as well, sitting next to her. She spun to look at me. "Bates, are you a jacket slut?" I stopped my coffee midway to my mouth, just staring at her confused._

_"What did you just ask me?" I set my coffee back down on the counter._

_"Are you a jacket slut?" I thought about it, taking a slow drink of my coffee finally. I came to my conclusion._

_"Yeah, I am." I nodded, taking another drink. She hummed in response, taking a drink herself._

_"Okay. That's something." She sat watching the clock, the seconds ticking by on the digital screen. "Okay. Let's get to work." She downed the remainder of her coffee and set the mug in the sink. I sighed, following her lead of drinking my coffee quickly. I set it in the sink and jogged out of the room. I made it to my lab, brewing myself a second cup of coffee. I sat working in peace for a while, then, the door opened._

_"Yes?" I asked, not even bothering to look up._

_"Hey, come to the missions room. I need you to monitor us going to rescue Ron." I looked up to see Shay balancing herself against the door frame, black hair falling behind her as she tilted her head at me. I stood up, walking over to her._

_"What the hell are you thinking?" I exclaimed, pushing her out of the lab and into the hallway. "No, I'm not letting you go. You are down a team member, and you know that a three-person team is nowhere near as effective as a four! It's suicide, Shaylee! For all four of you!" Her expression dropped, hurt._

_"Come on." She said, turning and walking away. I groaned, turning in a circle, contemplating what to do before groaning and following her. A few feet away from my lab, I noticed a large dent in the wall, as if somebody had punched it enough to create it. It concerned me slightly, seeing as it hadn't been there a few hours ago. I brushed off the thought of the wall, followed her into her room._

_Her room had her bed mounted into the wall, almost like a bunk, but no bed beneath hers. There were closets for her clothes built into the sides of the walls at the head and feet of her bunk. The walls were a soft blue, the wall that she and Ron shared riddled with knife holes. On one end of the room was a desk with a swipe tech accessible port and a few bookshelves, the other end having a window to the outside world and a couch. Beside the couch was an antique record player like what the people on earth used a millennia ago._

_She walked to the closet close to the foot of her bed, reaching in and grabbing something black. She smoothed it out in her hands._

_"The Senate sent this to me the day you joined our team, but I didn't want to give it to you until you proved yourself. I guess this is your chance to prove yourself, but you can't fully do it without this." She sighed, smoothing it over once more, lifting part of the material. "This, you earned it a while ago." She handed it to me, leaning against the wall. I held it up, looking at it closely._

_5501 read clearly on the patch over where my heart would be. It was my jacket that would truly identify me as apart of the team. I nearly cried as I looked at it._

_"Shaylee, I-I don't know what to say," I said, looking up at her in awe._

_"Say that you'll come with us and help us get Ron back. You said it yourself. We aren't anywhere near as strong as we are without that fourth person." She looked at me with pleading eyes. She was desperate. I could see it. I must have hesitated for too long because she asked me again. "Bates, no," she paused. "Dustin, please, come with us."_   
  


And here I sit, waiting for everything else to happen.

"Prepare for decent to Grotto," Adam reported. I had always heard how Astro-fighters would almost switch personalities during missions. The laughing, lively group I had grown to know was silent and business-like, clearly only focused on their goal. It was incredible to see in person and not just through the cameras.

We descended down under the water surface, close to the location of where Ron's suit last sent a signal. If we could get to that point, we could trace his biosignature. I had made sure of that with a device that I had made to find my dog once. It was surprisingly accurate.

The four of us walked onto the dry land from the water, our suits draining the water quickly. I glanced to Shaylee who nodded to me, signaling me to start using the tracker. I made a mental note to try to create something that would allow her to communicate with all of us almost telepathically. It would certainly make giving orders a lot easier in the field.

I let the handheld machine come to life before taking the drop of blood from Ron's sample I had on file from the month before onto the device's reader. It quietly started beeping, signaling us that it had a location. I nodded back to Shay.

"Let's get our boy back." She smirked at me and allowed me to lead the charge. We followed the tracking quietly. Nobody said a word as we approached a door we were led to. It was where the tracker indicated Ron was. Shaylee nodded to me, pushing me back from the door. She kept me surrounded by the other two. She nodded three times before hitting the button for the door. It wasn't locked. It slid open quietly.

Inside, there was a pod, like what the team was found in.

"Secure the room," Shay ordered. The three of us put our guns up, looking around. Shay approached the pod. She breathed a sigh of relief. We had found him. She opened the pod, catching him as he fell. She held him up, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

"Room is clear. If you think about it, we haven't seen a single soul in here." Adam told her, still being vigilant to his surroundings.

"Well, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. We have what we came for. Out, now." Shaylee said, still holding onto Ron. I walked over and swept the man off his feet and into my arms, taking him so Shay could do what she did best, lead. She nodded at me again. We followed her out of the room. I stayed surrounded by the other two. "Bates, can you run while carrying Ron?" Her posture had become tenser.

"Maybe." I thought I could, but I still hadn't done much with running with a lot of weight.

"Pass him off to Adam. Bates, you're about to experience what an Astro-fighter is meant for." I readied my weapon, trying to be prepared. Shaylee jumped from around the corner, firing. I followed her lead, firing at the enemy. She moved in closer, their shots ricocheting off of the armor I had made. I was glad to see it worked perfectly. Shaylee, upon realizing this, ran forward and grabbed the person at the head of the group, pulling them back and putting her gun to their neck. "Back the fuck up or I shoot." They listened.

"Diaz, let's go," Brock said, getting her attention without making her turn around.

"Let's," she agreed, walking backward and dragging her captive with her. We made it outside and she looked to Brock, nodding. Brock slipped a detonator out of his belt, pressing the button. The entire compound blew. The captive Shay had started to struggle harder, screaming. She kicked the back of their knees, sending them to the ground. "That's for fucking with the Alexian's." She growled, cuffing them and pressing a tranquilizer into the exposed strip of skin on their neck. A second later, they were out.

"W-why did you guys do that?" I asked, stunned completely. Astro-fighters, especially the Halo Squad, were seen as saviors, not killers. It was eyeopening.

"This is war, Bates. Always war." Shaylee looked back at me, almost traces of sadness in her eyes. "This is our job."   
  


Shaylee sat over Ron's body, gently running her fingers through his blond hair, her expression soft and caring. She let the back of her hand run down his face, sighing.

"Come on, Ron. Wake up." She begged, letting her hand rest of his cheek. I stood at the doorway, having just come from the shower. Shaylee, though, hadn't left his side since we got back.

I had put her armor away for her and placed the jacket she had given me over her bare shoulders, not sure where the one that belonged to her was. She was just in her tank top and black pants, then my jacket over her shoulders. Her hair was twisted back into a ponytail, her curled hair flowing from the band down her neck and shoulders.

Shay continued to softly touch Ron, watching her best friend in hopes he would wake up. I had to stay close in case he woke up. As Engineer, I was also in charge of their health, at least in relation to battle injuries or minor illnesses. Anything else was up to them to chose, even though we all had limited training in the medical field.

I sighed, turning to the door that adjoined my lab with the medical bay. I debated it but decided against it, taking a seat at the small desk in the corner. I watched Shay lay down next to Ron, laying her head on his chest, adjusting the jacket around her shoulders. She closed her eyes, wrapping her arm around Ron's waist. I couldn't imagine being close to someone like that.

I had struggled with friendships and being close to people. I felt like an outcast and an oddity, isolating myself to my work. That was part of the reason I never had that much of a drive to be an Engineer with a team. I didn't want close to people who may reject me. I was lucky that the guys tried to make me feel welcomed. Shaylee was slowly getting used to me, opening up a little.

I put my head down on the desk. Ron had become my best friend as well, but Shaylee thought all she had was him. She knew she had the other two, but Ron was her confidant. He was the only one she trusted with everything she had. She deserved to be right beside him as he had stood beside her.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND CAN WE JUST APPRECIATE RON DECHANT LIKE HE DESERVES?


	8. My Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dustin starts to see some of Shaylee's hidden demons.

Two days later, I literally carried Shaylee away from Ron, who hadn't woken up yet. I had had to put him on an IV and had to do a few other things to keep him alive and healthy through his coma. Shay hadn't left the infirmary but to use the bathroom. She needed to shower and sleep in her own bed, but she refused. She had to meet with one of the senators about the captive she had taken from Grotto, but she still refused to leave Ron's side.

I had dressed in my black jeans, white shirt, and bowtie when I entered the infirmary to check on Ron, Shaylee still curled up against his side.

"Shay, come on, you need to get ready. You have an hour." I reminded her, walking over. She shook her head, looking up at Ron's face. She gently traced his stubble shadowed jawline, her long lashes shading her hard brown eyes. She hadn't showered in days, but she was still gorgeous. "Shay, come on. This is your last warning." She continued to ignore me, gently rubbing her thumb against her best friend's cheek.

I sighed, walking over and picking her up gently. She didn't fight me, just curled up against my chest. I could tell she was exhausted, having barely slept since Ron was taken. I sighed, taking her into her room. I laid her down on her bed.

"Do you want to get your clothes, me, or Brock?" I asked, standing over her high bed. She shook her head.

"Just you do it," she mumbled, closing her eyes. I found her typical black outfit and her black jacket. I then found her underclothes and put them together. I walked to her bathroom and placed them on the toilet seat. I walked back in and sat down next to her on the bed.

"Shay, you have to shower." I gently rubbed her arm, trying to get her up. She sighed, pushing herself up. She leaned her head against my shoulder.

"I don't want to move," she sighed, her eyes still closed. I put my arm around her shoulders, holding her close.

"You have to, Cap," I chuckled, rubbing her arm. "Come on, let's go." She sighed heavily, pushing herself off of her bed. She walked out of the room, going to shower.

I decided to go back to monitoring Ron, checking that he was still stable and alive. I had an idea of why Ron hadn't woken up, but I wasn't positive. It most likely had a lot to do with the pod he was in. I wished I could get my hands on one so I could test my theory. He most likely had had too much of whatever was keeping him asleep, so he continued to sleep.

I was brought out of my thoughts by the sound of heels clicking against the ground. I looked behind me to see Shay dressed in a nicer, blazer version of her black flier jacket, black heels, and a shorter skirt, coming down to her mid-thigh. She had on a little bit of makeup, black eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara making her blue eyes pop. Her hair was pinned back, keeping the curled hair out of her face, but a few persistent pieces slipped out of their confines and fell framing her face. She was gorgeous.

She didn't give me as much of a glance as she walked back over, sitting on the end of Ron's bed.

"Come on, asshat. Get up." I heard her whisper to him, taking his hand. She sighed, looking back at me. "Seriously, Bates. Do you really need to keep staring at me? Look, I wear skirts when I have to be professional. Hell, I even have a few dresses I wear sometimes." She was tired, so I excused the behavior she had previously mostly dropped with me.

"Not that. It's just concerning that Ron hasn't woken up yet. You were out for a couple of hours, though. But I think it was because they didn't change the amount of anesthesia needed to keep you out and your body couldn't handle the dosage." I explained, getting up and walking over.

"Oh. Sorry. I just assumed..." she trailed off, sighing. "I haven't had the best experiences when it came to men seeing me in a skirt for the first time." I sat down on the bed beside Ron's.

"What do you mean?" She looked down at Ron, avoiding my eyes.

"I, uh, I was a teenager. I had been in the Astro-fighters Academy, and one night, they had a dinner. I wore a skirt, and a couple of the guys got an idea. Let's just say that one little girl against three guys did not end well. They were expelled from the program immediately. Nothing ever that traumatic happened again- both Thomson and I made sure of that. I worked myself into this person who just radiated power and authority. Then, whenever I wear a skirt, I feel powerless. I can almost feel guy's eyes trailing my body. I hate it."

I stood in shock. How could someone so powerful feel that way just because of an article of clothing? I was having a lot of trouble processing the information she had given me. I couldn't imagine her being forced to do anything. She had truly created this second person. I could see very little weakness in her, but even the best of us have cracks, no matter how hidden.

"Shaylee, I had-" She cut me off abruptly.

"I know. I tend to keep things to myself, in case you hadn't noticed." She gently touched Ron's face. "Y'know. I didn't really trust guys after that. Not until I met Ron. He changed me. I was all rough, tumble, no weakness facade. I didn't get close to people, and I stayed to myself. We got put on a squad together and I barely talked to anyone. I just followed orders, but he wouldn't let me keep to myself. He talked to me every chance he got. He was so persistent. One night, he cornered me and was talking to me, and I freaked out. I yelled at him that I wasn't interested and that I wanted him to leave me alone before I broke down crying.

"He just sat next to me, not touching me, just letting me cry it out. After I calmed myself down, he told me that he wasn't interested in me either. He just saw that I didn't have any friends, and he decided that his personal mission was to become my friend. He apologized and left me alone for a few days. I thought about what he said and I started to talk back to him when he spoke to me. That was ten years ago. We've been on the same squad ever since. I don't know what I would be without him." She let her hand fall to his chest, feeling his heart beating behind his ribs. We were interrupted by a cough at the doorway. Shaylee and I both looked behind us. There stood the Senator we were meeting with.

"Sorry to interrupt. I hadn't realized one of you men were still hurt, Captain Diaz." He was cold, with some baldness on the top of his head, an unnatural tan, straight teeth, and a wrinkled forehead. He wore a black suit with a red tie, shoes shiny and squeaky.

"Senator Jefferson. My apologies, I did not realize how much time had past. But, yes. Cadet DeChant has been in a coma since we rescued him and acquired our captive two days ago." She stood, touching Ron's hand one last time before approaching the Senator, kicking my foot as she passed as a sign to follow her. She shook the Senator's hand, and I followed her actions.

"Doctor Bates, how have you been adjusting?" He asked me, a hollow smile painted on his face.

"Very well, thank you for asking. I have been assigned to a great team that I am proud to be a part of." I smiled back before glancing at Shaylee out of the corner of my eye.

"Good! Now, shall we get to business?" He smiled curtly at Shaylee. Shay led the two of us out of the infirmary, hitting the button by the door that locked it so only the team and I could get in.

We made our way to the bottom of the building where the alien was locked up. Shaylee went up to the cell, beating on the glass. The man looked up, his teeth a little sharper than the citizens of Alexi. He was a hybrid human. He had blue hair, black eyes, the shaper teeth, and a slender build. A black beard framed his face, bringing out his pale skin.

"Citizen of Grotto, identify yourself, your purpose, and why you chose this planet." Senator Jefferson's voice was commanding and strong. He looked weak, but I had heard rumors that the Senate had more power than people knew.

"We come seeking the FEC. They have killed our people. We seek vengeance." The Grottan growled. I felt Shaylee tense next to me. I took a step closer to her, almost in front of her. I knew she could protect herself, but the FEC scared me.

The FEC was a secret organization that stretched across galaxies. They were a group of diverse species that had one goal- total unification of the cosmos under their cruel reign. Rumors of the FEC included their brutal treatment of taken Engineers, stealing information from their brains with force, killing Astro-fighters or killing their souls to turn them into Carnivores- inhuman killing machines, and the destruction of societies that refused to comply with their demands and principles. 

"The FEC is a myth, and if it was real, it would not reside on the planet with the most powerful military. Your intel was mistaken." Jefferson said, slipping off his coat and putting it on the chair. "Now for what intel I really want." He smirked, but it was sick and twisted. I was afraid. Shaylee turned to me, putting her hand on my arm.

"Go upstairs." She had a decent amount of fear in her own eyes, but not in the same way I felt fear. It wasn't fear of the person, it was fear for a person.

"No, Diaz, I need to be here. I'm in charge, too." I was going to stand my ground until she let her hand slide down to mine.

"Don't make me ask again, Bates." Me. She feared for me. I didn't know why, but I wanted to. I slowly took her hand in mine, squeezing lightly.

"Yes, ma'am." I let my hand drop from hers. I started walking from the stairs. I turned around to see her looking relieved, taking a deep breath, but not sighing like normal. Something was going on and I didn't know what.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If only y'all knew what's to come.


	9. Antigravity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She isn't just a weapon

The next day, it was noon and Shay still wasn't awake. I had gotten bored with sitting in my lab, so I found the other two sitting in the living room near their rooms, watching the news. I sat down in the chair near them, their eyes following me.

"Hey, Bates." Adam welcomed me, his eyes going back to the TV.

"Hey, guys," I said with a smile, also watching.

"What time is it?" Brock asked, as always. Ever since he noticed that I actually paid attention to my watch and used it as more than a swipetech port to check my social media platforms, he asked me a lot for the time, rarely just swiping over his own port to check.

"Twelve o' five," I answered, looking back up. He sighed, reclining his head back.

"I guess she really got wore out yesterday. I hate when she has to go through that." Adam sighed, leaning forward to put his head in his hands. Brock nodded. "I'm going to go get her to wake up. She needs to be among friends." He walked away, back the hall towards where we knew Shay would be. I looked at Brock.

"What happened? She made me leave, so, I have no idea."

"When the Senate needs information, they get it any way they can. Force tends to be a viable option. I mean, it's rare that a captive comes out alive. But this is war." I always saw Brock as a very innocent person, but in those moments, I saw the guilt that stayed in his soul, eating away at any bit of vindication. They were all guilty of murder, hands stained red with the blood of countless different species. "The Senators don't like to get their hands dirty. So, somebody has to do it. Why not use the weapons they created? And Shay is one of the most powerful weapons they have." He sat back sighing.

"She isn't just a weapon," I whispered, thinking back to everything she had told me yesterday. I had been seeing her as a leader, not a person. She made herself seem so cold to everyone but her team that I forgot she was a person with more than just rumors in her past. When she started to chip back the layers of paint she had put on herself, I got to see a glimpse of the real Shaylee Diaz. I liked the real Shay more than Captain Diaz.

"I know that. She's so much more. You don't even know the half of it, Dustin." Brock looked down. "So, so much more." A somber feeling set over the room like a damp blanket. Brock knew something I didn't and I knew more than I knew two days ago. I was starting to get to know the person in place of the rumors and facade. I was too focused into my thoughts to hear two people sit down on the couch next to Brock- well, one person sat, one person flopped.

Shaylee had set herself down in between Brock and Adam, curling up into Brock's side, nudging his arm with her nose until he gave in to putting his arm around her and allowing her to cuddle up into his chest. He played with her black hair, still curled. I had no idea how it always stayed so perfectly in loose curls. Maybe she had a perm or something.

"Afternoon," Brock greeted her, still letting his fingers run through her hair. She mumbled something back, wrapping her arm around his waist. He smiled, looking down at her.

Nobody really said anything, attention on the news, or on Brock's steady breathing in Shay's case. I noticed her fingers gently tracing patterns into his side. Her relationships with these people confused me a little. I didn't expect her to be so physical with people after what she had told me yesterday, but I supposed that it came with a lot of trust that they would never touch her like that.

"I'll be right back. I need to go check on Ron," I said, pulling myself up out of the comfortable chair.

"I'll come with you." I turned to the couch to see Shay untangling herself from Brock, pulling her soft, white blanket with her like a cape over her shoulders. She followed me down the hallway, my boots echoing through the halls while her feet just pitter-pattered behind me.

We reached the door to the medical bay, me opening the door and letting her in first. She stopped at the doorway, her blanket falling off her shoulders before she ran, tackling her best friend in a hug. I looked to see Ron sitting up, looking a little dazed and groggy. All the same, he had a protective arm around the back of his best friend, gently touching the ends of her hair as she clutched him tightly.

"Hey, there, DeChant," I greeted him, smiling. He smiled back, still holding onto Shay as I paged the rest. Moments later, the other two were prying Shay off so they could have a turn to hug their friend. Even I hugged him in those brief moments Shay was not in protect mode. The other three sat on the bed next to Ron's as I unhooked him from the wires that had been keeping him monitored.

"So, how long was I out?" He asked, looking relatively okay for someone who had been out of life for a while.

"I'd say maybe ten days," I replied, checking his blood pressure.

"Nice," he hissed, nodding. He looked at Shay, smiling at her. She smiled back and he winked, letting her know he was fine. I didn't notice she was on edge, but the more I looked, the more I saw she was. I moved back from the bed after everything was off of him.

"I think you just had a lot of whatever made you sleep in your system and it took a while to get out. You should be fine. I'd just suggest taking it easy for a couple of days. Then again, I'm an engineer, not a doctor." I joked, patting his back. He smiled back at me.

"Cool. I'm ready to get out of here. If it's really been ten days, I need a shower and to take a shit." I laughed, helping him off the bed. Shay was immediately at his side, helping him out of the room. I looked at the other two.

"So then," Adam said, leaning back. He looked up at the ceiling before sighing. "I'm going to paint." With that, he flung himself upward and walked out, leaving me and Brock alone. We stood in a not so awkward silence for a few moments, just looking around.

"Let's go for a walk," he suggested, nodding to me.

I followed him out of the compound, out to the green grass of our front yard, pasted the gates that kept people out, and then out into the streets of the city. We walked in silence, the bright sun beating down on us. I was happy in the silence, just glad to be outside. I felt like I would trap myself in my lab constantly, hiding away among my work. It was nice to be outside, though. I breathed in deeply, taking in the fresh air. I was content.

"So, what did you learn from the interrogation?" Brock didn't look at me, only around at the empty streets. That was one of the few perks that we had from living miles outside of the city.

"Well, the Grottan believed in the F.E.C, that it was here. Believed that it was based here." I kicked a rock softly. Being outside made me miss my runs, just going out to see what was around me.

"That's crazy. I mean, the F.E.C isn't real. Who believes in Carnivores and ripping information from Engineers?" Brock laughed, shaking his head. "Somethin' parents tell their kids to keep them from doing something dangerous." I didn't say a word. I never did. 

I never said anything about the night I thought I saw someone rip out a man's throat with their teeth as a teen. I never said anything about the nightmares of the same thing happening to me. I never said a single goddamn thing about how terrified I was of them. 

"Maybe. Maybe it holds some truth," I sighed, shoving my hands in my pockets. He shrugged, too.

"Maybe. Who knows? Anything is possible. I mean, look at Shay! She's getting used to you!" He exclaimed, nudging my arm. I smiled, shaking my head.

"Yeah, guess she is."

"Maybe it might lead to something more. Thomson use to be married in her younger years. Married the captain of one of her first squads. Maybe you and Shay..."

"No, I don't think she'd be into that." Brock knocked my shoulder with his.

"Don't think like that. Have hope. I see the way you look at her."

"No, no, she wouldn't be into me like that. She doesn't see me that way."

"You mean the way you see her?"

I stayed silent. I had no retort. I had no excuse. I had nothing but the truth that was hanging in the air.

"The way I see her... power, beauty, graceful, dangerous, command, leadership, gentleness, strength, intelligence, and so much more I have yet to learn," I breathed, not meeting his eyes. He put an arm around my shoulders, grinning.

"Good. Let's go get some food. My treat."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ADAM HAS HIS NIPPLES GAGED AND THAT MAKES ME KINDA UNCOMFORTABLE BUT HOLY SHIT IS HE AN INCREDIBLE DRUMMER.


	10. Dark On Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaylee and Dustin continue to grow closer as the stars swirl around in witness.

 

 

Two weeks later, it was late at night, probably around three in the morning.

Different nights, I could not sleep. I found ways to make myself tired, going for walks, working out, taking baths, drinking tea, but the easiest way was going outside to think. I loved that the compound had a large backyard, fenced in for our protection more than for the protection of civilians. The lights outside were far enough away that I could look up and see every constellation, star, galaxy, planet, and comet. It was perfect.

This night was no different from any other night. I sighed, pushing myself off the bed and throwing on a zip-up sweatshirt to keep me warm. I halfway zipped it, letting some of my chest exposed. I just stayed in my gym shorts, not really caring if whatever lurked in the dark saw me. I walked out of my room, down the stairs, and out to the large grass patch behind the compound. I looked up, my eyes searching the fuzzy stars.

"Man, is it beautiful out tonight," I breathed, not talking to anyone or anything in particular. I just enjoyed the peace that surrounded me at the moment.

"It is," I heard a voice answer. I sat up, spinning around to see Shaylee walking towards me. She was barefoot, wrapped up in a blue blanket, though I could see the end of her pale pink nightgown underneath it.

"What are you doing up?" I demanded, my voice harsher than I intended.

"Well, you aren't the only insomniac, Bates. Quite narcissistic of you to believe that you are the only one who has sleeping trouble. After all, you do live with murderers." She sat down next to me, moving her blanket around so it covered her front. I stared at her in awe. "Ron took my knives from me, meaning I couldn't throw them at the wall until he woke up to entertain me, so I decided to come join you." I laughed a little, laying down.

"Sure, Shay." She laid down next to me before shuffling over and laying closer to me.

"So what do you do when you come out here?" I could see her watching me out of the corner of her eye, but mine were training on the vast space above us.

"I just watch the motion of the stars. How they move in this coordinated dancing pattern. It's just so incredible. The darkness filled with bursts of light from supernovas, planets, suns, galaxies, coming to our view from lightyears away; just to our vision."

"For us." Her voice was soft, her eyes still watching me.

"What?" I asked, not sure if I heard her correctly. It didn't sound like her, but someone distant and far away. I was seeing someone that I didn't know.

"The stars, the converge on this one place for us to see," she expanded her statement. I nodded.

"I guess so..."

We were silent, just watching the stars. I zipped up my sweatshirt the rest of the way, getting a little cold. Shaylee seemed to notice, because she moved closer, cuddling up next to me and putting her blanket over me as well. I slipped my left arm from under my head to wrap around her shoulders to pull her closer. Not another word was spoken.

After an hour, I looked down at Shay to see her asleep, breathing even and steady. I smiled, letting my fingers touch the ends of her hair gently. I stopped watching the stars and just watched her instead, giving in and allowing myself to dream of a future with her. 

 

Hours later, I woke up to a looming shadow over me and someone poking my face.

"Hey, loverboy, get up." A voice laughed. I opened my eyes, detangling myself from whatever I was curled up next to and looking up at the person over me. Adam stood over me, laughing, but Ron was in my face poking my cheek.

"Shut the fuck up, you dumbasses. Just leave him alone. I started it." Shaylee rolled over, knocking an unsteady Brock out of his squat. She laughed lightly, opening her eyes to look up at him.

"So, what happened out here last night? It's like, ten, so." Ron asked moving to sit behind Shay, who gladly sat up enough to curl up against his chest.

"I couldn't sleep, and I just came out here. It helps me get tired. So, I was out here and then Shay was out here. Ron, this is really your fault for taking her knives." I explained, giving him a pointed look. His eyebrows furrowed and he frowned.

"I didn't touch her kn-" He stopped talking suddenly, almost letting out a gasp of pain. I found that suspicious.

"Whatever. Let's get inside. I need to change then we can hit the training room. Just give me a few minutes." Shay pulled herself off the ground, Ron getting up to follow her, questioning her as they walked. The other two looked at me.

"Ron never takes her knives. He wouldn't dare. She's lying, which isn't like her." Adam pointed out, earning a nod of agreement from Brock.

"Oh, yeah. She's definitely hiding something. So, then, Dustie, what happened last night?" Brock leaned in, brown eyes prying. I rolled my eyes and pushed him back again.

"Nothing. It was cold, she had a blanket, and she was nice enough to share," I shrugged.

"Yeah, share her body warmth," Adam smirked, pulling Brock up. "Better get dressed, Loverboy. Gonna be late. You're part of the training regime now." I groaned, getting up and walking back inside.

Shaylee didn't speak to me other than in commands for the next two days. She ignored me. It hurt. After all the progress we had made, she took it all away. It was like whatever trust she had finally built up in me was destroyed. I couldn't stop thinking about our night under the stars together, the peace and silence that stayed between us was sweet. But now, there was no peace in that silence that forced us apart.

 

I sat in my lab, thumbing through a notebook I had found the previous week. I wasn't positive who it belonged to, but I was pretty sure it was Thomson's. There was a little bit of information on the team, but only small notes about Shay's behavior, Brock's ditziness, Adam's jokes, or Ron's caring nature. I enjoyed it though, learning about them through someone else's eyes.

I heard the door slid open, my eyes floating up to the entrance from my table in the back. Shay stood in her flight jacket and black jeans, a large box in her hands.

"Hey, Shay." I swallowed hard, dog-earing the page and closing the book. I walked to meet her where she stood.

"I-I..." she couldn't spit out the words. "Take it. You deserve to know more. We have- I had no right to keep these from you for this long. You earned these weeks ago. Just, please, don't go out broadcasting the information. It could probably get all of us executed." She gave me the box, allowing me to take all the weight. I stared down at the box for a minute before looking back up at her.

"Are we okay?" I asked, my thoughts still lingering on her behavior from the past few days.

"Yeah, I've just been anxious, I guess." She rubbed her forearm with her hand, not meeting my eyes. "I've gotta go. Senate needs me at their HQ for something. I should be back by tomorrow afternoon. Ron's in charge." She turned to walk out of the room but stopped before she got to the door. "Take care of yourself, Bates." 

 

That evening after dinner, I sat down in my office, the one I rarely used. I opened the first notebook with HALOS written across it. From there, I didn't sleep for the next several days.

The entire time, I absorbed so much information about the four I lived with, things about their childhoods, mental states, stats from The Academy, what they don't like on their pizza, why they became Astro-fighters, their opinions on things, and files from the Senate. There is where I had to stop. I found out what made Shaylee so nervous and apprehensive about giving me the notebooks. The last one was tied tightly, to the point where I had to get a knife to cut the string to open it.

It was all things that the Senate had done to the team. Experiments they had tried, things they had qualified as _training_ for the Academy. The worst part wasn't even the experiments. It was the truth behind Shaylee and what she was. She was the rogue, the one that they first tried, and the failure turned prodigy. Shaylee was the first monster.

Shaylee Diaz was the first Carnivore of the F.E.C.

Shaylee, the girl I truly held feelings for, was my greatest fear. Within that folder, I found notes about the F.E.C and the true monstrosities they had committed, things they had done to people. I found lists of people Shay had killed. I found the true purpose of Carnivores. 

Carnivores were inhuman hitmen, given a target to kill. Typically, these were people who got to close into what the F.E.C was, or people who questioned if the rumors were true or not. It seemed that many people did, based on Shay's kills alone. The Carnivores killed or were killed. If they were killed, another Carnivore was sent out to replace the one who had failed. There was no such thing as a true failure with the F.E.C. They always made their mark.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write cute stuff. I use to be the queen of fluff, now I'm just a Killer Queen.


	11. Let It Die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big secret is out. How will this affect the dynamic of the team?

After unlocking myself from my dark, windowless office, I realized that it was around noon, meaning that I hadn't left that area for a couple of days. Nothing really out of the ordinary for me.

I had a bad habit of getting lost in a project. I wouldn't talk to people for days, wouldn't shower or eat. I would use the bathroom, but I still didn't have to interact with the team because I had a half-bath connected to my office, meaning I could go between the two with little break from reading. I hadn't seen people in days. It wasn't like I saw anyone outside of the team regularly anyways.

I stumbled my way through the compound, searching for the team, Shaylee in particular. I couldn't believe the reports I had found on her Carnivore status, how she had broken free from her program at a young age, but how she still was a killing machine, but in a more human way. She still possessed some qualities when she chose, but she held herself on a tight leash. It was incredible.

I found the team sparring in the open area below the walkway and my office.

"Shaylee!" I called down, leaning over the rails. She stopped sparring with Adam, looking up to me. She paled, stepping back. I turned and started running to the stairs, going down quickly.

I sprinted to her, not stopping as I reached her. I grabbed her, wrapping my arms around her tightly in a hug. She fought me, pushing and shoving, but I continued to hold her close to my chest, my momentum finally slowing to a stop. I still held her protectively. Ron stood nearby, in fight position in case I proved myself to be hostile.

"Get off me!" She demanded, trying to hurt me, but I endured it, still hugging her.

"No. No, I won't. You need to know that I'm okay. I'm not afraid. I'm fine with it." I tried to explain, still hugging her tightly. She groaned, snapping.

Adam and Ron grabbed my arms, yanking them away from Shay. She ducked under the two as they walked me a few steps back from her. She stood, arms crossed. Her hair was different, straight. She still looked the same other than that. The same power still radiated off of her, and the same beauty still brought her to the edge of my thoughts again, ready to tumble out of my mouth if it took another inch toward the forefront of my mind.

"So, I take it you finished, since we didn't see you for three days." She walked closer, standing a foot in front of me.

"All of it. I can't believe everything that happened. And, you, you were a-"

"I am a." She corrected, her gaze not wavering. She had accepted it as part of herself. She didn't embrace it, but she accepted it. "I am a Carnivore. The first Carnivore." She spat out, seeming almost disgusted, but not with herself- with the people who turned her into the monster she hid.

"The F-"

"Don't say it out loud. Never say it out loud, Dustin." Brock said softly, standing behind her a few feet.

Shay sighed, moving closer to me. She slowly slid my glasses off of my face, our eyes meeting without a barrier in between them. But, I didn't need my glasses to see her with how close she stood. I could see every part of her exquisite face: the soft slant of her nose, her arched eyebrows, soft, pink lips, long lashes framing eyes with so many shades of blue that I could sit for days staring at them and still never find the correct way to describe their truest color.

"C' mon. You need to sleep," she said, motioning for the guys to back off of me. She was at my side then, putting an arm around my waist and a hand on my chest before leading me up the stairs to take me to my room. She moved the covers back and made me lay down, standing over me. "Get some rest, Bates." Her voice was as soft as velvet, coursing over me.

"Wait, Shay," I grabbed her wrist. "Stay with me until I fall asleep?" I asked. I could feel that I was out of it, my actions and thoughts uncontrolled and unplanned. I thought, and I did.

She sighed, sitting down on the end of my bed. She kicked her shoes off and pulled her legs up. She laid down on top of the covers, staying a good few inches away from me. She propped her head up on her arm, staying above me. I looked up at her, watching her sleepily.

"Bates, you need to sleep. Just close your eyes." Her voice was still soft, but her eyes had become softer and gentler as she looked at me.

She started running her fingers through the top of my hair, letting the dark locks pass through her fingers. I closed my eyes trying to relax. I noticed her humming something, still playing with my hair. I opened my eyes again to see her staring at the wall behind me, not paying me much mind anymore.

"I've been looking for a way to bring you back to life, and if I could find a way, then I would bring you back tonight. I'd make you look, I'd make you lie, I'd take the coldness from your eyes. But you told me, if you love me, let it die." Her voice was quiet as she sang, still not focusing on me. I listened to her continue the long. It sounded personal.

Carnivores were known for their cold-bloodedness, their cut-throat determination. I had seen some of that in Shaylee, but this was something else. This was human. In the files, Thomson had put that something snapped Shay out of her true Carnivore state. Thomson had never written down what it was, though. I had been trying to guess, but I couldn't think of anything. Her parents were dead, she didn't know Ron or the others yet. I had no idea what could have snapped her out of it.

"Shay..." I started, getting a slight hum as a reply. "What made you snap out of being a full Carnivore?" I kept my eyes closed, still just listening to her voice and feeling her fingers run through my hair.

"Shitty programming, number one. The full trigger of shutting it down? I saw someone die at hands that were not my own. I saw true, purposeless, disgusting murder. I hated a pointless death. It made me feel anger. The first emotion I can truly remember feeling is anger. I didn't experience many emotions until after the age of fifteen. Even then, there is still a wide array that I have yet to fully explore." She explained, laying down more. I yawned, curling up into her more. She chuckled, her the hand that had been in my hair slowly following a path down the back of my head to my face. "Go to sleep. Stop thinking." She whispered. I could feel her breath on my face, hear the smile in her voice.

The last thing I remember before falling asleep was her voice again.

"Good night, Dustin."   
  
  


"Again!" Ron commanded, motioning for me to come at him again. It was around four the next afternoon. After sleeping for twenty some hours, Shay forced me to eat before heading out with Adam. Brock was in charge of monitoring their small recon mission, leaving me in Ron's "oh so capable hands," as she put it.

I charged Ron, pretending to go high, but going low to knock him off his feet. I managed to do as I intended, but he was up before I could react. He jumped up, hitting under my chin as he did so. That sent me off balance, stumbling back. I shook it off and went after him again, faking going into the left, but going in on his unprotected right side instead.

After a few minutes, I had him down finally. Sweat poured off of me, falling into my eyes and making them sting. I got off Ron, helping him up.

"Nice work, man." He smiled at me, clapping me on the back before taking his shirt off. I followed suit, using my tank top to wipe off my face before tossing it off to the side.

"Woo!" I heard a female voice call. I looked up at the outlook to see Shay, Adam, and Brock with cartons of juice sitting in between the railing, feet dangling down. "Take it off, Bates!" Shay called, wooing again. I turned bright red.

"Leave the poor guy alone, Shay. He's getting confident!" Ron scolded, putting his hands on his hips.

"I'm not beating him down! I'm genuinely wooing!" She protested, getting ready to throw her carton of juice at him. Brock stopped her, placing a hand on her wrist.

"Shay, think. That's your juice." He reminded her, looking at her with dead seriousness in his eyes. She sighed.

"You're completely right, Brock. Thank you." She looked just as serious as he did.

"I swear to fuck, you two and your goddamn juice." Adam sighed, sucking on his straw once again, producing a loud, hollow sound to resonate from the practically empty box.

"No, but for real. Damn, Bates, you're looking good." Shay whistled, winking to show she was playing around and not actually hitting on me. I shook my head, laughing. She finished off her juice box before flipping around, lowering herself to halfway down the wall before kicking off and flipping off the wall, landing on the mat and rolling forwards to get rid of the extra momentum she had from the fall.

"I want pizza!" Brock yelled from his place still up top. Shay groaned, turning to him.

"You child! We just got back! Do you want to go get pizza in town?" She yelled back, flailing her arms about dramatically. He nodded, crossing his arms. She groaned again, turning to us. "Well, go shower off. We're going for a dinner with the whole fam-damn." Ron laughed, patting her back and walking out, Brock running off with Adam, his cheers echoing upstairs. Shay smiled at her boys, watching them all go.

"So, that's that." I laughed, walking up next to her after grabbing my shirt.

"That's that." She agreed, turning to me. "Seriously, though. Good job, Dustin. You've really come a long way in the past six months." I stopped, thinking. It had been six months since I joined the HALO team. Team 5501.

"Yeah, I guess I have. But you have, too. You just called me Dustin. Not Bates." I pointed out, starting towards the door with her.

"Well, you should get used to it. I actually quite like your first name." I smiled.

"Do you now, Diaz?" She shoved me a little.

"Shut up." She was smiling, though. I noticed my heart rate picking up as she did so. Too soon, we made it back to her room, Shay leaving me with a wave before ducking inside.

Growth. Physically, emotionally. We had all come a long way in six months.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TEQUILA


	12. The Future is Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team starts to show some distrust towards Dustin, leaving him heartbroken.

Sitting in my lab was quite boring when I didn't have a full out project raging through, destroying everything a chaotic hurricane of science. However, when I became unproductive, I found myself laying on top of one of the tables listening to the team screaming below the glass wall that overlooked the training area, soft rock music playing under it all.

I rolled off the table, going to look over the team. I saw Shay and Adam laughing over something, Brock and Ron going back and forth testing new weapons against older ones. They were having fun. Shay looked up to me and waved, grinning. Her blue eyes glistened, shining so bright. I smiled and waved back.

Since she had explained to me her status as a Carnivore, she allowed for more of the inhuman traits to bleed through a little. I saw her outrun everybody by yards, lift hundreds of pounds with ease, and dent the steel railing with her hand- but that was by accident. She continued to fascinate me.

We had been spending a good bit of time together, her afternoon even excursions to wherever occasionally including me. We would talk, laugh from time to time, and never got too touchy like she was with Ron or Brock. I questioned why she wasn't as cuddly with Adam for a little while, but then I learned that Adam had a girlfriend, as did Brock, however, she didn't necessarily care. I had never met the two.

Ron and Shay were the only two without partners, saying their dedication to the team overrode any romantic ideas they had. Sometimes when they talked about the responsibilities of the team, they seemed almost saddened. From what I had seen, there wasn't too much to do with it. I still believed that there were things hidden from my knowledge. I would always be on the outside looking in.

The sky was as brilliant as it always was. You could see so many galaxies from the position of the planet, staring many in the face.

"Ya know, Dustin, if you're going to keep doing this, you should really start bringing your own blanket and stuff. Or wear a shirt, at least." I turned to see Shay carrying out a small bag, walking away from a few blankets and pillows. She walked past me over to two of the spaced out trees that still provided a view of the stars in between them.

She opened the bag and a long piece of fabric and two straps fell out of it, tumbling to the ground. She threw the straps around the trees and tightened them before hooking the fabric to the straps. It was a hammock. She then threw the blankets and pillows on it, laying down sideways and looking up. I walked over, laying down beside her. The hammock dipped with my weight, sliding her closer to my body. I sighed, putting my arm around her. We sat there, slowly rocking back and forth as we stared at the stars.

"Is it really that late that you were up, too?" I asked. It hadn't been too long since I had gotten up. At least, that's what I thought.

"No, no. I think Adam is still awake working on his bike. It isn't that late, actually. I just wanted to join you." I didn't bother to look down at her as she spoke, my eyes still following the flow of the stars. We stayed silent for a while, watching the stars move around us. It was almost picturesque.

"You know, if people were to see us, they'd talk." I smiled at the thought. So many Engineers and Astro-fighters had gotten married it was almost like people expected it. With how Shay acted toward me in the first several months, I figured Ron and I would be together before Shay and I. I still believed that.

"Let'em. I know what I know, so fuck the rest," she shrugged, moving her head onto my blanket-covered chest.

Every now and again, her knuckles or fingers would brush against my bare side under the blankets, sending shivers down my spine each time. It was soft and gentle, but enough to make me want her fingers touching me on purpose.

"So, Bates, did you ever have a lady in your life or were you just too married to your work?" Shay asked, moving back a little to look up at my face.

"Sort of too busy with work. I mean, yeah, there were girls, but nothing ever serious. I had my goal in mind and I chased it. I didn't allow too many distractions. I knew what I wanted and what I was doing. I didn't pay much attention to girls. I didn't want to until I had my Ph.D. I guess that the future is now, but I'm so busy here that I don't think I could balance any more girls other than you and Brock." I teased, smiling at my own joke. She laughed.

"Yeah, Brock can be a handful!" She agreed, nodding.

"So, what about you? Any guys other than these three?" I pushed us back a little, causing more rocking. She shook her head.

"Nope. After being Carnivore for years and then the incident with the skirt, I've never really found much stock in love. Not until recently did I even find anyone that I could remotely find myself having feelings for." I felt my heart deflate. She had found someone outside.

"Oh, okay. Duh, Carnivore and stuff. Yeah." I stumbled over my words.

"Bates, are you okay?" She placed her hand on the other side of my body, pushing herself up and turning to face me. I nodded.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" I tried to play it off as nonchalant as I could, but it wasn't working out for me.

"Because your entire body just tensed up."

"You're imagining things, Shaylee."

"You never use my real name. You always call me Shay."

"Not always."

"You're right. You call me Shay casually. You rarely use Shaylee and it's when you're uncomfortable."

"Not true."

"True." She argued, staring me down with those bright blue eyes. "Dustin, what's up?" She changed a little, showing concern.

"It's nothing, Shay," I assured her, also calming down. She shook her head, leaning down close to me.

"Convince yourself. You can't convince me." She whispered, leaning down just an inch from my lips. "I already know that you're never okay around me. Everything about you screams it, calling for me." Her breath fanned across my lips, mint filling the airspace between us. I made the rash decision, holding her by the back of the neck and kissing her deeply. She was immediately kissed me back, her hands falling to my chest. I let her go quickly.

"Fine," I breathed. "Fine, you win. I'm not fine pretending it's alright. You are my amphetamine. You're so bad for me but I just want a little taste. I know you could destroy me at will, but fuck, I'd let you bring me to the edge of death and cast me aside just before, only so that you could do it again until you're bored of me. I'm not fine. You have too much power over me, but I love it. I want you to have more power over me." My words were quick and feverish, falling out of my mouth quicker than I could process. No fillers in my words so my brain could catch up to my mouth, but just words upon words expressing my feelings to her.

She didn't respond to them. She simply let her hand run from my chest up the back of my neck to my hair, letting her fingers get tangled. Instead of saying any words, she kissed my lips with such softness that it felt as though I was just imagining her lips on mine. But no, I could feel her skin under my fingertips as I held her closely still. Her touch was soft as her other hand ran down from my neck, trailing past my ear, and down my chest to the center of my torso. Her lips slowly pressed harder against mine, confirming this was more than a fantasy. She was really here.

The next day, I noticed that the floor beneath my lab was silent. Everything was quiet. I walked around my lab, ignoring the lack of screaming from below. I didn't know where the group would be, but regardless, they weren't where they normally were. I sat down at my desk in the corner, pulling my tie down to loosen it. I slipped it over my head and threw it on my desk before undoing the top two button of my shirt.

"Stressed?" I looked up to see Brock standing in front of me, doorway open. It normally shut on its own. Odd.

"Yeah, a little," I answered, taking my glasses off next. "Where's everyone else?" I stood up, walking over to the table that had one of my projects laid out.

"Didn't Shay tell you? The other three are off-world for a few days. Diplomatic mission." He walked over, watching me work.

"No, she didn't," I mumbled. I figured that after everything we had left unresolved that we would talk. "I didn't think that diplomacy was an Astro-fighter's job."

"Well, this is. Grottans. You know how they are." He sighed, leaning back against the other lab table.

"Yes, suppose I do." I felt bad for being a bit curt with him, however, I was mildly upset with Shaylee.

"I just wanted to see if you wanted to come into town with me."

"No, thanks, Brock. I've got a lot to get finished. Maybe next time."

"It's all good, dude. I'll see you in a few hours, then. Message me if you want anything." I nodded to him, not looking back up from my work.

After everything, I was still on the outside looking in.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DOOOODOOOOODUDOOODOOOO


	13. Point of No Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Not from Phantom of the Opera, unfortunately. 
> 
> Everything comes collapsing to an end, Dustin learning he is caught in the middle of a war he didn't know even existed.

Day three of no team, I was in the compound alone. Brock was out with his girlfriend, so I had nothing to do. I was just lifting weights in the gym when I heard footsteps.

"Hello?" I called, setting the weighted metal down. I received no response. "Brock?" I started walking over, going slow. I could feel my heart rate accelerating, pounding loudly in my ears. As I went to round the corner, someone beat me to it. I yelled, falling backward onto my ass.

"Doctor Bates! Didn't mean to startle you! I was simply looking for Captain Diaz. Do you know where she is?" It was Senator Jefferson. I raised an eyebrow, standing up.

"What do you mean? You sent them off-world..." I pointed out, crossing my arms.

"I did no such thing. The Senate did not send them off-world, or even on a mission for that matter. Shaylee Diaz is to report to us on a bi-monthly basis. Yesterday, she was to report to us. She did not come to us. That is in violation. Where is Cadet DeChant? He is next in line if she forgoes these meetings."

"Not here. Cadet Richards and I are the only two on Alexi, and even then, he's out on personal business." Senator Jefferson growled.

"Then you are the next in line. They all forfeited your life in place their own. " He pressed his finger to his ear. "They're gone. Doctor Bates is the last one. I shall bring him in." His words started to sink in. They forfeited my life for theirs. They left me to die. I was too stunned to stop him from grabbing my arm, pulling me out of the building and into the car with him that waited out front. I was cuffed as soon as I was sat in the caravan.

My spirit was completely broken in two. I had no will to fight against them as they strapped me to a metal table in the bottom of the Senate Base in Columbus. I didn't even know this level of the base existed.

"So, Dr. Bates, what do you think we are here for today? Come on, tell me what you know." The Senator stood over me, close to my face, staring at me with those beady little eyes.

"I don't know. I don't care. They left me behind. Outside looking in," I sighed, closing my eyes.

"Tell me about Shaylee. I could hear your pulse increase when you were around her. You felt something around her. Was it fear?"

"Me? Fearing Shay? What reason do I have to fear her? I felt the opposite about her." He chuckled at my response, moving away from me.

"That is very amusing, Dr. Bates. You loved her. You loved our Carnivore." My eyes flew open as my brain started working. _Their_ Carnivore. They. The F.E.C. Fuck. The Senate was the F.E.C.

The monsters who created Carnivores, ripped information from Engineers, ruined planets, and held an iron fist over sections of the galaxy was the ruling body over my home planet. I had grown up under the rule of the F.E.C, fearing the tales I heard, but trusting in the Senate that they had our people's best interest in mind. They were all so cynical and cold, we assumed it was good to have unbiased leadership, however, now I saw the truth.

They were in for their own personal agenda's. Protect the planet from war- kill all the enemies. This is war, yes. War against who? It was ourselves. Our own race on our own planet. We had been lied to by authority for the existence of our planet. Evil at the core of our planet, thriving by way of the technologies created by our Engineers, enforced by our Astro-fighters.

Shaylee and the guys. They had to have known. Shaylee was a Carnivore herself, they created her. She had to know. They knew and they left me here at their mercy. I thought that I had found family in them. I thought that I had found trust in them. I thought that after they gave me Thomson's notebooks that I was one of them. I wasn't apart of that team. I wasn't family to them. I was just a replacement.

"I did love her, but she was incapable of that emotion... at least in the capacity I loved her." I felt tears building up in my eyes. I wasn't afraid. I was just devastated.

"Those Astro-fighters, they don't care about you. They never did. They watch out for their own kind, and you aren't one of them." Senator Jefferson whispered, smirking. A man in a lab coat came over, holding an electric razor. He shaved around the side of my hair, taking off most of the hair around, but left the top of my hair alone. He then placed electrodes on the places where he shaved. "Good, boy, Bates. Just concentrate on what you know."

Bates. Everything about Shaylee came flooding back to me. I closed my eyes, tears breaking free from their restraints. I couldn't help but think about everything that had happened, from meeting her in the bar, to deciding that I was allowed to learn how to protect myself, to our nights under the stars, to the first time she called me Dustin. I was heartbroken.

"Bates, concentrate on what you know. Not that worthless captain," the Senator growled. I paused. If that woman was anything, it certainly was not worthless.

"Worthless?" I whispered, the tears stopping as I grew angrier. "She is anything but worthless. She has done so much for others, saved so many lives-"

"Yes, she's saved so many to atone for her sins as a Carnivore. Those worthless Astro-fighters only care for themselves!" Senator Jefferson screamed at me.

"Ya know, Dustin, he is right," everybody's attention flew to the corner of the room where the voice came from. Shaylee sat in a chair, leg crossed over the other, arms crossed, smirk on her face. She was wearing her flight jacket, but it had different patches to it. Instead of the Senate's S logo, it has three lines going horizontal over her heart. "Astro-fighters are pretty worthless. It's quite counterproductive, however, you do what you gotta do."

I was stunned. She was here. I wasn't the only one who saw her based on everyone else in the room's eyes. Her's stayed on me, though, smiling at me.

"Oo, Bates, don't like what they've done with your hair. We'll have to fix it when we get back with The Messengers." I had no idea what the fuck The Messengers were, and I didn't care. I was just so happy she was here. She hadn't abandoned me. "Oh, sorry about this whole mess, as well. We needed somebody's biosignature in the compound. It was the only way to sneak everything out. And don't worry. We brought your bowtie so I can't grab you by your tie again." She smiled at me and got up, walking over towards me. Everybody knew she was a Carnivore. They feared her, moving out of the way. She walked over to me, gently smoothing my hair back off my forehead. She leaned down to my face.

"Diaz! Original! Original!" Jefferson screamed, holding an arm in front of himself as if that would protect him. Shay sighed, laying her head on my chest.

"I swear, these dumbasses." She growled, turning around with her hands down by her sides.

"Good girl." Jefferson allowed a sigh of relief. "The programming is still in place. Continue with Doctor Bates." Shaylee started laughing, reaching behind her to grab the one restraint around my wrist. With ease, she snapped the metal in half, freeing my left hand.

"Please, Lady Thomson was much smarter than you all gave her credit for. She got rid of that fucking programming years ago." She walked around the table, snapping the restraints off of me as she passed by each one. Then, when she was by my head again, she slowly took off the electrodes. She pressed a finger to her comlink in her ear. "Come on in, friends. I have Bates." She said, letting it go to give the people in the room her attention again.

"No! The Messengers are no match for our Carnivores! We will advance! The F.E.C will continue! You Messengers are simply a thorn on the finger of the F.E.C!" Jefferson yelled, walking up and grabbing her wrists. She growled.

"Then, we'll just have to become a stake and aim for the heart." She pushed him back, sending him flying into the next wall. People wearing suits ran into the room, holding guns. I started to fear, but then I noticed that they had the three lines on them like Shay did. They were the good guys. "Now, if you will excuse me. I must save my damsel." She turned to me and smiled. "Actually, Brock! Take Dustin out. I want to have some fun." One of the people took their helmets off. Brock sighed, running a hand through his spiked brown hair.

"How come you always get all the fun? Going off-world, come in and be the dramatic one. Why do I always have to babysit Bates?" He groaned, walking over and taking my arm.

"Because I'm the leader and what I say goes. Now, get him out of here before the Carnivores get here," she ordered. Brock nodded and started escorting me out of the room. We ran up the stairs, leaving the momentary silence. Screaming, firing, and growling could be heard below us. I tried to listen, but I must have slowed us down because Brock pulled me harder.

"Come on, Dustin! We don't have much time before they arrive!" He encouraged me to keep running. We made it outside. In the distance, I could see figures in black robes with black helmets and visors covering their faces. "Shit. Carnivores. Get on the ship! Now!" He back up into the loading dock, sending me first. When we made it on, he shut the door before pressing a finger to the comlink. "Diaz, we have Carnivores on the way. Probably twenty. Get out of there now." She must have replied, because he stood ready, hand on the button to open the bay.

We stood waiting for a few minutes before Brock opened the door. The group of people in suits ran on first, then Shaylee brought up the rear. I got a good look at her. She was a bloody mess, but there wasn't a scratch on her. Her hair was curled again, not straight like the last time I saw her.

"Everybody got out alive. Can't say the same for the rest of the people in that room." She reported, closing the door and walking past the other people. Ron took his helmet off, breathing heavily.

"I hate running." He panted, rubbing the top of his head with his hand. Shay laughed as the engine fired up and we took off.

"Hey! Adam! Make sure we lose them! We don't need them following us halfway across the galaxy." She called up to the cockpit. Adam yelled something back, but it was inaudible over all the chatter from the people who had taken off their helmets. I sat down in one of the vacant seats, still reeling from everything. Shay knelt down in front of me, placing her hand on my upper thigh. "Dustin, are you alright?" She asked softly, her blue eyes not as cold as they had been so many times before.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm just relieved." I answered, smiling. It felt forced though. She could tell.

"Dustin, I'm so sorry we couldn't tell you what was going on, but the less you knew the better off you were." She seemed sincere, her eyes pleading. "I don't know why the hell you thought about me when you were down there, but I'm glad you did. I couldn't have lived with myself if they had found information in you. If they had, they would have started ripping through. Had they done that, you and I wouldn't be talking." I started thinking.

"How did you know that I was thinking about you? That screen... how long were you in the room?" I asked, looking at her accusingly.

"Quite some time, actually. And I am capable of loving people in a romantic sense, thank you." She smirked, gently rubbing my leg. I turned bright red, something she hadn't made me do in months. She laughed. Covered in blood, a known murderer, but the woman I loved for some reason. I started laughing, too.

"Okay, Diaz. Okay." I said, nodding. She moved to sit next to me, sliding her fingers in between mine to hold my hand.

"I'll prove it." She didn't look at me, but instead down at our intertwined fingers. I smiled. A new chapter of our book was starting. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND WOW CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW TALENTED DUSTIN BATES IS?


	14. Rise And Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never has the team risen higher, but every high thing must come down and every stronghold shall be broken.

I must have fallen asleep because when I opened my eyes again, I was in a room with a large window that exposed me to the stars outside. It was night. The landscape was dry and dusted with sand. I groaned, sitting up. I looked around the room. It was very different than the one back on Alexi. The bed laid in the center of the room with a desk on one side, the door and a dresser on the other. A chair sat beside my bed on the same side as the door, and a small table was on the other side. I closed my eyes and laid back down. I was still in my clothes from Alexi, a little bit of blood from Shaylee's clothes on them.

I heard the door slide open and somebody walk in. I opened my eyes to look at who it was. It was Shay.

"Hey there. How do you feel?" She asked softly, crossing her arms and leaning against the door frame. I nodded, sitting up again.

"Alright, I guess. Where are we?" I asked, rubbing the side of my head, feeling the almost completely shaved hair.

"Prox. Around thirty lightyears away from home." She walked over, sitting next to me on the bed. She moved my hand from my hair. "Hm, we'll have to fix that later. At the moment, there is someone who wants to meet you." I sighed, letting her pull me off the bed. I followed her down the hallway into another part of the base, into a control room. Everybody wore flighter jackets like Shay had on earlier, black pants, boots, all carrying around tablets or other electronics, working on things. Shay and I were the odd ones out.

She had changed out of her bloodied clothes, instead wearing sweatpants and a tank top with a blue sweater over her arms. And I, of course, still in my workout clothes from that morning. She walked up to the man overlooking everything. He was an older man with glasses and a slight goatee. He seemed youthful, though. His hazel eyes held a spark in them that brightened up the room. When he saw the two of us, he smiled.

"Shaylee, Doctor Bates. It is nice to see you both." He smiled, walking to meet us in the middle of the room. Shay moved towards him, hugging him tightly. He smiled and hugged her back. "How are you, darling?"

"I'm well, thank you. Aston, meet Dustin Bates, Lady's successor." She used Thomson's first name. The man smiled sadly.

"So, you are the one my wife spoke so fondly about." I froze, my eyes widening.

There had always been a rumor about Lady Thomson's love life. That one of her first squads, she fell in love with the Captain of the team, Aston Wise. However, legend had it that he died after a mission. Seemed half of that to be false.

"Aston Wise..." I whispered, still in awe as he shook my hand. "You're supposed to be dead." He laughed, patting my back.

"That I am. This was the only way I could run The Messengers and Lady could continue to work on Alexi, making trips to see me every now and again. If it wasn't for her staying on Alexi and keeping a closer eye on the enemy, we never would have found this little gem of our's." He gestured to Shay who stood by, watching us with a slight smile. "Speaking of finding you, Shaylee, we need to talk." Shay nodded, passing by and touching my hand gently.

"I'll see you after while. The guys should be around." She winked at me.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Doctor Bates." Aston nodded to me before they walked away, leaving me in the control room. I decided to wander around, hoping I would run into the guys eventually. I found my way into the cafeteria, my eyes searching. I found Ron's spiked blond hair with ease. I hurriedly made my way over, sitting next to Adam.

"Dustie! Hey, man! How are you feeling? I gotta tell you, you may weigh a lot to us, but Shay carried you into the base with no problem! Fucking riotous!" Adam said, laughing loudly. The three seemed to be in great spirits.

"She carried me in? Like, all damsel in distress style?" I questioned, dumbfounded.

"Yeah!" Ron laughed, putting his head down on the table. Three of them laughed as I groaned and put my head down on the table in shame. A few moments later, a blonde woman walked over with a tray of food.

"You idiots, what have you done now?" She asked, putting her hand on her hip as she put the tray down.

"Nothing, beautiful, nothing." Brock protested, taking her hand. She shook her head but smiled.

"Brock, you're trouble." She teased, leaning down as he pulled her into his lap.

"Here we go again." Ron sighed, picking up an apple from the tray and throwing at me. I caught it, luckily.

"Dustin, meet Brock's girlfriend Siobhan. I have to do everything because Ron's too stupid and Brock and Sio have stars in their eyes." Adam sighed, flicking a piece of paper at them. I smiled. "Dude, you still haven't changed? She really must have wanted you to meet Aston." I looked down, nodding. I bit into my apple, not really wanting to acknowledge that I still felt disgusting.

"Yeah, she was really excited." I continued to eat my apple.

"Well, I mean, he is like a father to her." Ron pointed out, pointing a finger at Adam over the sandwich he had picked up from the tray.

"You right," Adam reached over, grabbing a french fry off the tray. Moments later, the devil herself appeared, her face red and her blue eyes brighter than normal. She quickly made her way to the five of us.

"Ron, I need you." She said, grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the room. He didn't question it. He dropped his sandwich and followed her out. The remaining members of the group sat in confusion.

"What was that about?" Adam asked, watching them disappear.

"No idea," Brock replied, also watching them. We had no idea. We sat around talking for a while longer before I decided to go shower and change. I walked back to my room, hoping to find some form of other clothing.

I walked into the room to find a good portion of my stuff in the room. I smiled, going to grab clothing out of the drawers. I grabbed clothes and went to the bathroom at the end of the hallway. I quickly showered and got clean before going back to my room. When I opened the door, I noticed someone sitting in the chair in the corner. It was around three in the morning. There was one person who I was positive would be up this late and sneaking around people's rooms.

"Shaylee," I greeted her, my eyes trained on her figure.

"Dustin," she managed to croak out. I walked over, sitting on the bed in front of her. "I-You see, I, I found out some news tonight." She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "I've already told the other two, but I knew I had to tell you as well. You are a part of the team, and you have a right to know." She took a deep breath in. I gently placed my hand on her thigh as she had done to me earlier that day.

"It's alright, Shay," I assured her, slowly pulling her out of the chair and closer to me.

"No, it's not. I'm not alright. I was turned Carnivore by the FEC. Dustin, my father is the head of the FEC. He's alive. He did all of this, not only to me but to everyone." She held onto me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her tightly, holding her body close.

"Shay, Shay, it'll be alright. We all will be right behind you. Blood means nothing by this point. We are your family. Thomson, Ron, Brock, Adam, Aston," I took a deep breath, thinking over my next words carefully. "And me, I'll love you for as long as you want me. I'm your's, Shaylee Diaz." I gently placed my hands on either side of her face. She smiled up at me, placing her hands on top of mine.

"Okay, Bates." She laughed, moving her hands from on top of mine to onto my chest.

"See? I knew you'd grow to love me." I winked at her. She smiled.

"You know what, Bates? Fuck you." She teased. I grinned, leaning in.

"Maybe later. At least take me out to dinner first." I leaned in a little more, connecting our lips. "You know what, Diaz? I think we could make this whole Messenger thing work. Not too shabby for our first year together. At least we both lived."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha, ha, let's see how that one goes for ya, buddy.


End file.
